What If
by Tessryne
Summary: Levy poses the question to Gajeel, "What if you hadn't joined Fairy Tail? Would we have crossed paths again?" Before Gajeel could answer, Levy is attacked by an etherious being and loses her memories of him. Will Gajeel be able to win Levy over again and somehow restore her memories, or will he succumb to the darkness and shadows as a recent foe resurfaces. Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**-=* Hello my fellow Gajevy peoples! I'm at it again with another story. I worked on this off and on over the span of a few months, so I hope it still comes across as a cohesive narrative. Enjoy, leave feedback if you would like, and as always I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters. *=-**

 **RATED M FOR LANGUAGE (it's Gajeel afterall, come'on) and LEMON (whoohooo)**

 _ **What If: Chapter 1**_

"Hey, Gajeel?"

The Iron Dragon slayer cracked one eye open to peer over at Levy who sat not far away. The sun shone brilliantly in her hair, the gentle breeze picking up a few stray strands that drifted over her forehead and caressed her cheek. Those shining hazel hues were aimed skyward as she tilted her head back and leaned back on her arms, her palms pressing into the grass of the clearing they were resting in.

"Hmm?" He grunted softly, aware that he'd been so busy staring at her stunning beauty that he hadn't acknowledged her, allowing for a long pause. He currently lay on his back, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, his forearms crossed over his forehead to shield his eyes from the blinding sun overhead. He'd been silently enjoying the serenity of the afternoon and her quiet, but comforting presence at his side. When she'd asked him earlier in the morning if he'd care to join her for a picnic he hadn't hesitated to say yes.

"If...if you hadn't joined Fairy Tail, do you ever think we would have crossed paths again?" She asked softly, her tone sad.

Gajeel blinked, suddenly caught off guard by her inquiry. He simply stared at her as his thoughts circled in his head, trying to imagine what his next move would have been back then after Phantom Lord was disbanded. He was such a cold-hearted bastard back then; chaffed ass from Natsu's victory over him. Would he have sought revenge, as he was, or was the small ray of light that had penetrated his iron defenses from seeing such camaraderie and friendship in Fairy Tail enough to have pushed him towards a more benevolent path.

"Hard to say," he answered honestly, watching her closely for her reaction. She simply kept staring up at the sky, watching the clouds drift overhead in the steady fall breeze. He thought he saw a slight frown tug at her lips, though. After another long silence passed she finally exhaled a soft sigh and lowered her chin as she reached for the book she'd placed face down across her lap. Gajeel noted that she was purposefully keeping her face adverted from his gaze. His brows furrowed as he reached over, his hand gently closing over her slender arm, the sudden contact causing her to react how he had anticipated. She turned to look at him then, surprised, then embarrassed as she so easily revealed what she was trying to hide.

She was crying.

Gajeel ripped his hand back as if he'd been burned, not at all expecting to see the fat tears pooled in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. He sat up with a jerk, his eyes never wavering from hers.

"Oi, you don't have to cry..." He stated softly, his voice trembling slightly, a little overwhelmed by her emotional reaction to his answer.

"I'm sorry," Levy sniffled, then started wiping furiously at her tears. "I just...I'd like to think we would have crossed paths again. Maybe on a mission, or..." Levy trailed off, snorting softly to herself. "You probably wouldn't have even remembered me."

Gajeel swallowed hard, thinking over her words in order to form the right response. Aside from her sweet scent that he would remember until the day he died, there was no way in hell he'd ever forget the night that he had crucified her and her team to a tree with his bare hands; a night that haunted him often in his nightmares. He was certain it would be haunting him still, even if he hadn't joined Fairy Tail. He'd never done something so barbaric to a woman before that night, or since.

Before he could say something to reassure her, Levy suddenly jumped to her feet and started running, her voice pained as she called back over her shoulder. "I'm sorry...I just realized that I needed to do something!"

Gajeel frowned as he watched her retreating form as she disappeared from his line of sight, thinking to himself how terrible of a liar she was.

"Fuck." He muttered with a sigh, feeling an unpleasant pang in his heart. What had brought such thoughts to her mind all of a sudden? He hadn't seen her so dejected since that time on Tenrou. He stood slowly, dusting off his pants and overcoat as he contemplated whether to chase her down or not; not knowing if it would be better to give her space or to capture her and give her the reassurance he was about to say before she had fled from him.

He gathered up the book that had fallen from her lap and the blanket she had laid down, tucking them both under his arm before he started walking in the direction she had gone, deciding that he'd never let her escape him before and if he didn't go after her this time she would probably get the idea that he didn't care. Which was far from the truth.

Levy didn't start to slow until she'd reached the far side of Magnolia, then tucked herself away in the shadows of an ally where she paused to lean back against a building, sucking down air to catch her breath. She was terribly embarassed and mad at herself for allowing her fears to get the better of her and to behave so weakly in front of Gajeel. She'd been quietly dwelling on the mystery of that scenerio for days now and the "what if" was eating away at her. He'd become such a pivotal influence over her since he'd joined the Guild, she just couldn't imagine her life without the gruff Iron Dragon Slayer in it.

 _"I will remove his shackels and set him free."_

Levy gave a start at the mysterious voice that drifted towards her from the shadows. She stood straight, turning towards the deeper darkness of the ally and started to slowly back away.

"Excuse me?" She stated nervously, her voice wavering as her heart had leapt to her throat. A mischevious laugh tittered from the blackness before her and Levy gasped out loud as an disembodied grin materialized before her.

Gajeel followed her scent through all of Magnolia, his face drawn into a scowl as he wondered just how far she was planning to run. Her scent had gotten stronger, signaling to him that he was close, when all of a sudden his eyes zeroed in on the sky blue locks of her head in the distance. He paused in his steps momentarily as he watched her backing away from something he couldn't see, her body language conveying fear. With a growl he sprinted forward, closing the distance between them in seconds.

The ghoulish mouth spread wider in a horrific, sadistic smirk that would rival Gajeel's and Levy felt frozen in terror, suddenly reminded of a night so long ago when he'd worn such a grin as he backed her against a wall.

That mysterious voice began chanting then, and immediately she felt her body begin to tingle, the fine hairs on her body standing as if electrically charged.

"Levy!" Gajeel roared as he neared her, sensing the powerful magic sizzling in the air. "Get away from there!" He snarled as he reached his arm towards her, his hand clamping down on her shoulder as he prepared to snag her behind his body to shield her from whatever she was facing. As soon as his fingers curled over her shoulder a deafening _boom_ sounded around them and they were engulfed in a blinding light. He thought he heard her frightened voice calling his name before he was plunged into sheer darkness.

* * *

Levy stretched languidly with a yawn. Birds singing outside her bedroom window heralded the arrival of morning with the gentle light that beamed in from behind the curtains. She was loathe to get up, wrapped snug and warm in her baby soft blankets. She hadn't slept that deeply in forever she realized and she found it hard to remember getting into bed last night, or what she'd done the previous day at that. Her eyes peeked open slowly, comforted by the familiar surroundings of her bedroom. Something out of place caught her eye and she sat up slowly on an elbow as she blinked, finding several bouquets of flowers surrounding her in ornate vases, placed haphazardly on her stacks of books. Confusion started to sink in as she stared around her, a faint nagging in the back of her mind like she was forgetting something...something important. She'd never woken up to a bedroom full of flowers before.

How peculiar.

She rose from her bed then, the sinking feeling that she had missed something dropped in her gut like a brick. Or maybe perhaps a secret admirer had ordered them to be delivered to her apartment and one of her friends had been in on it and quietly placed them around here while she slept like the dead. The more she thought about it, the less likely the latter possibility was. She just wasn't the type of girl that received random flowers, nor could she think of any one person who would do such a thing.

Perhaps she could get answers at the Guild. Feeling vexed first thing in the morning wasn't doing much for her mood and she quickly dressed in an effort to get away from the strange sight within her abode.

Strange occurrence number two: as soon as Levy stepped within the great hall of the guild she found herself bombarded by her guild mates. She stood there with a perplexed expression as she was embraced by several pairs of arms. Jet and Droy were there, of course, and also Lucy and Happy and a few others, all of them showering her with relieved statements like:

"Levy! You're okay!" "You had us so worried!" "How are you feeling?" "Shouldn't you rest a little longer?" Strange occurrence number three.

"Eh, ah-haha, hey guys..." She stammered, not trying to hide her bewilderment. "Why are you guys acting so strangely? Why wouldn't I be feeling well?" She found herself asking them as they all slowly untangled from around her lithe frame. She didn't miss the concern on their faces as they stood back from her one-by-one, a few sparing equally confused glances at one another. When they didn't immediately answer her, she pressed on with the question that she came seeking an answer to.

"Why are all of those flowers in my apartment?" That only served to make them look as baffled as she was.

"Guys?" Levy hedged cautiously, not comforted at all by the awkward silence that fell around them.

Nothing, however, would have prepared Levy for strange occurrence number four. Make that a wet-your-pants-buckle-your-knees-to-drop-in-a-fetal-position occurrence, for as her friends all stared at her, puzzling over her questions, they were pushed aside as a tall, dark, terrifying visage from her most vivid nightmares moved to stand before her, those demonic red eyes with terrible black slits for pupils staring down at her. She was too horrified to register the concerned look on his face; only seeing the sadistic smirk and hearing the manic laughter that echoed in her mind from a night she'd tried desperately to forget.

In her petrified state of fight-or-flight, all she could seem to do was draw in a deep breath and scream.

Everyone around her was frozen in shock, her blood curdling scream echoing throughout the greathall and grabbed everyone's attention as they looked to see who was getting murdered at their front door.

"Oi!" Gajeel yelled above her, his hands flying to cover his sensitive ears. Levy didn't hear him. Her body finally snapped out of its paralysis and she whirled on her heels, preparing to sprint from the horrific man before her but she was stopped as his hands closed on her upper arms and turned her back around to face him, his face moving close to hers.

"Levy!" He shouted her name as he shook her gently, panic and confusion etched on his face, further drawing his face into a scowl.

"Let me go!" Levy shrieked. Everyone around them gasped and took collective steps away from the pair.

"It's me!" Gajeel stated, his tone holding a hint of fear, his hands gripping her tighter.

"No! Help!" She cried, genuine distress roiled off of her in waves that made Gajeel feel so sick to his stomach he felt the urge to retch.

"You MONSTER!" Levy seethed, the words having the effect of a hot blade sinking between his ribs to render his heart in two. His hands released her immediately and she dropped back, not hesitating a moment before she turned and fled from the guild, her sobs fading as she disappeared in the distance.

An utterly empty silence surrounded Gajeel, but all he heard was the roar of blood pounding in his head at his pulse raced. He stood frozen, his hands still in place from where he'd released her. His heart ached painfully in his chest, feeling as if she had blown it to smithereens with her words.

Suddenly, Gajeel felt a weight on his shoulder and he drew in a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, taking in Lily's scent.

"She...she doesn't remember you." Lily said carefully, his paw touching the Dragon Slayers shoulder in a comforting manner.

The pain roiling through his system caused him to lash out at his partner, like a wounded beast that had been cornered.

"No fuckin' shit." He growled, then shrugged his shoulder forcefully beneath the exceed, clearly stating _fuck off_ before he stomped out of the guild, leaving everyone standing there, speachless for once. Lily had abandoned his perch on Gajeels shoulder, staring after his friend's retreating form with a sympathetic look.

Gajeel was quite certain he'd never hurt so much before in his life. He clutched absently over his heart, gripping the material of his overcoat as he staggered a step, pausing to test the air for her scent.

Levy had been unconscious for days following the incident. He himself had been knocked out for a day. When he came to, he was told that him and Levy were found laying passed out with blood oozing from their ears, as if they'd suffered some sort of concussive force. Gajeel remembered everything that led up to that moment. He was chasing her down to tell her that he could never forget her. Now, ironically, somehow after her injury that day, it was her who couldn't remember him. At least not the him he had become. She remembered him as he used to be; the monster he used to be, clearly, since she had called him such.

"Tch," Gajeel spat, continuing after her as he followed her scent. There's no way that this was going to go over well; him going after her this time. She was scared shitless of him and he found himself worrying over how in the world he could help her remember all of the things they'd been through together over the years. He resigned to the fact that he would do anything, anything to get her to remember. The horror on her face as she looked at him; the pain and resentment she harbored towards him gave him a stark desperation to fix it all.

Why couldn't her sudden amnesia make her forget what he'd done to her instead?

He rounded a corner and came to a stop some distance away from where he finally spotted her. His breath caught in his chest and his brows furrowed as he took in the scene before him. She was standing before a group of men, her face buried in her hands as she cowered slightly. The men before her were hunched towards her, appearing to be trying to console her. He growled as he moved forward. That was his job right now, dammit. He'd tell these guys where they could shove their fake concern and start trying to help Levy to remember their past; the good stuff.

But as he neared, one of the men stood straight, chest puffing as he spied Gajeel approaching.

"Hey, is this the guy?" He asked the bluenette before him. Her terrified squeak was all the confirmation he needed before he moved to stand between Levy and the dark man stalking towards her. He noticed that as he did so, the features of the swiftly incoming man twisted murderously. The other guys filed in around Levy, glaring Gajeel down.

"Mind yer own business, punks." Gajeel warned as he closed in on them, his deep voice seething with barely contained anger towards the men that would dare to get between him and his bookworm, no matter what their intentions were. The thought never crossed his mind that acting with hostility in front of her wouldn't exactly help his cause.

"We're not moving." Another one stated, bringing his fists up to convey his willingness to fight on the distressed womans behalf.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya," Gajeel growled before he barreled into them, easily slamming a few aside with one heavy punch, his arm and fist covered in shadowy scales to enhance the force of his blow. He felt another man leap onto his back as an arm locked around his neck. Gajeel simply bent forward, forcefully swinging the man over his head to land with a loud thud to the ground before the Iron Dragon Slayer.

The man yelped as he was slammed down into the earth with an Iron Dragon Club, a small crator forming beneath his body. Hearing another contender racing up to his side, Gajeel turned and brought his shadow scale covered arm up to block the mans punch, finding himself cackling manically as he felt the bones of the mans hand shatter against the Iron Scales of his defense. Within seconds, all of the men were laid out, howling in pain. Without missing a beat, Gajeel whirled towards Levy then, who watched the whole display with wide, fearful eyes. She cowered lower as he stepped to tower over her, his heart twisting in his chest at the sight. How had there ever been a time when he enjoyed this fearful response he elicited from her?

"Levy..." He said her name tenderly, holding his hands out to his sides benevolently, trying to show her that he meant her no harm. She flinched.

"How do you know my name?" Levy asked, her eyes watching him closely, distrusting.

Gajeel tried to smile at her before he responded. "I know a lot of things about you." Staying perfectly still, and slightly encouraged by the fact that she hadn't started fleeing again, he continued in showing her just how much he knew.

"I know that you love books more than anythin'. I know that you bite at yer bottom lip when yer deep in thought about somethin'. I know that you love to put ketchup on yer mac-n-cheese but never do it when anyone is around because you know it grosses other people out. I know that you stick out yer tongue and make a wish whenever you see a shooting star. I know that you hate riding in magical vehicles because you are reminded of how yer parents passed away." He paused to take a breath. "And I know the reason why you go to sleep with the light on every night..."

Levy watched the man known as Black Steel Gajeel before her; a man who had callously attacked her and tore her down like no one had before. A man who had a reputation of being a ruthless killer, devoid of any emotion or humanity. She wasn't sure why she was still standing before him, allowing him to talk to her, but she felt something tugging in the back of her mind, reminding her of the same sensation she felt when she woke up that morning. How he knew so many intimate details about her was beyond comprehension. Also, with such a reputation, it was very odd seeing him trying so hard to calm her, trying to show her...something. She even saw pain in his eyes, and something akin to affection.

"H-how do you know all of those things about me?" She asked cautiously, still feeling skeptical. Perhaps this was all a ruse as a means to an end for something he wanted.

"Because we've become friends, Levy." He stated with firm conviction. Levy blinked at him and he could tell she still didn't quite believe him.

"Look, here," He said, then slowly turned to show her the Fairy Tail Guild emblem on his upper left arm. "I'm part of Fairy Tail now, have been for some time, and we've been through so much together." Levy could see the myriad of reverent emotions as he relived those times in his mind.

"The reason I sleep with the light on every night?" She interjected, curious to hear his explanation, feeling that nagging in the back of her mind growing in intensity.

"Well...it used to be because of me." He said sadly. "Because I terrified you and left ya afraid to be alone. I left deep scars inside of you and I'm still not sure whether they've completely healed or not."

"So why do I do it now?" She persisted.

"It's still for me...but for a completely different reason." He said, looking off to the side as he actively avoided meeting her gaze. She noticed the slight color that blushed his cheeks.

"It's so I know where you are, because ya know I'm always looking out for you." Gajeel said, sounding a bit embarrassed to admit it, like it was something she hadn't admitted to him herself, but a ritual he had assumed was a sign for him just the same.

Levy felt her heart skip a beat at his words and a fleetingly familiar hum thrummed through her body and left just as quickly as it came. She stared silently at him, watching him stare silently back at her, his gaze almost pleading.

"I've never heard that the great Black Steel Gajeel was a stalker too." Levy stated then, still timid, but straightening just a tad as her eyes shifted to look past Gajeel.

"Oi, I ain't no stalker!" He barked, then reluctantly turned to see Jet and Droy moving closer. He groaned inwardly, seeing her two team mates, before turning to look back at Levy.

Levy watched closely as Jet and Droy stopped to stand beside Gajeel almost as in solidarity with him.

"Unbelievable..." Levy murmured, looking between her friends and the dark, tall Dragon Slayer.

"So it's true, he's joined our Guild?" Levy asked them and the two nodded in response.

Levy swallowed. "How long ago?"

Droy nibbled absently on a drumstick he had carried along to snack on. "If you count the seven years that you guys disappeared during the S-class trial on Tenrou, then about eight or so years." He answered and Jet nodded along.

Levy paled as her jaw dropped open slightly. Almost nine years. Nine years that they spent together, apparently growing pretty close, and all of a sudden couldn't remember a single minute of it.

Her hazel gaze shifted to rest on Gajeel then, his face was suddenly a stark unreadable mask.

"Wait a minute," Jet stated. "So you don't remember Gajeel since he'd joined Fairy Tail, but we don't look strange to you, Levy? We don't look like we've aged or..." He hesitated a moment as he spared a quick glance at Droy, "gotten bigger?"

Levy shook her head quickly. "No, you guys look just as I've always remembered."

"Great." Gajeel murmured sarcastically. "Whatever this is, it decided to just target her memories of me." _Of us._

"Appears so." Jet stated with a hint of amusement and Gajeel felt his jaw twitch, his irritation at the situation making him less patient than normal with Levy's two cheerleaders.

"I fail to see how this is so fuckin' amusing." He practically growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Levy still stared at Gajeel warily, finding it hard to suppress the innate fear she felt towards him after what he had done to her on their last encounter, at least the last one that she remembered...from almost nine years ago.

"Lets get you back home, Shrimp." Gajeel said casually, ignoring the indignant snort that escaped Levy's lips as he gestured back towards the guildhall.

Jet and Droy sidled up along Levy as they started walking, Gajeel falling in beside Team Shadow Gear, though still at a forced distance from Levy's side, for her benefit.

Jet leaned down towards Levy. "That's just one of many nicknames he's given you over the years."

Levy remained silent at this news and felt Gajeels eyes on her from where he walked along side of them several feet away. After a moment she caught herself biting her lower lip as she was trying to conjure up any memories at all. The realization of her reflexive action immediately made her look over at the Dragon Slayer who was, much to her chagrin, smirking at her knowingly. She could practically hear him saying _told ya so,_ before he dragged his gaze away from her, an almost impercievable sigh escaping him as he picked up his pace, falling away from the trio of friends as he walked ahead of them back towards Fairy Tail.


	2. Chapter 2

_**What If: Chapter 2**_

Gajeel sat in his usual spot, drinking his usual drought of choice, his chin propped in his palm as he leaned on his elbow upon the table which just happened to be his usual position. The only thing that wasn't usual was the fact that the blue haired Script Mage wasn't seated at his side with her nose in a book.

He watched her from across the guildhall as she chatted and laughed amongst her friends like it was just another day. The pain that she couldn't remember a single thing pertaining to him still ached in his chest, as if his heart had been ripped out, leaving an empty chasm. He was at a complete loss of what to do. A part of him wanted to sit her down and go over the timeline of events since he'd become a part of her life in the hopes that it would jog her memory. If nothing else, it would serve to at least let her know how close of friends that they had become over the years. The other part of him was wanting to just stay at a distance, to not try to force her to remember. That thought brought a fresh wave of pain to seize his chest and he winced slightly. The only positive to that idea would be to watch her warm up to him all over again, because there was no doubt in his mind that she would...eventually. There was an in-explainable draw between the two of them, like she was a magnet to his iron soul. She was still the same Levy and he was a vastly different Gajeel; much improved from the Gajeel that she thought that she knew.

Beside him, Pantherlily dropped down from the air with a gentle thud on the table, pulling him from his thoughts.

"How are you doing?" Lily hedged.

Gajeel shot him a glare as a response and the exceed chuckled, knowing that his answer was going to be something to that degree.

Gajeel pouted. "Not sure why everyone thinks this is so goddamn funny." He griped as he jutted out his chin childishly.

"It's not, but it could be worse. She could have awoken with total amnesia and not remember anything, or even how to use her magic." Lily stated optimistically.

Gajeel fumed. "Yeah, but then at least I wouldn't be the only miserable bastard in here."

"So it upsets you then, that she doesn't remember you." Lily prodded.

"Of course it upsets me. Why wouldn't it?" He snapped.

"Because you've never admitted your feelings for her." Lily answered smugly.

Gajeel sputtered on a few words that died on his lips, unable to form a coherent retort for his partner.

"It's not like that." He growled irritably, forcing his gaze away from the bluenette across the way, then quickly changed the subject.

"Did you find us a mission or not?" He grumbled.

Lily answered by holding up a flier with a smirk.

* * *

Levy laughed gleefully as Lucy shared with her the mishaps of her latest mission with Natsu and Happy, wiping at the tears that gathered in the corners of her eyes.

"You guys always seem to have so much fun. You're so close, it's cute." Levy stated with an easy smile.

Without thinking, Lucy shook her head and poked back at the Script Mage. "It's the same when you go on missions with Gajeel and Lily. You guys are always getting into some sort of trouble. But Gajeel always seems to save you. Talk about cuuu-" Lucy's hand suddenly shot to cover her mouth, effectively silencing herself as she remembered about Levy's current situation.

"I'm sorry..." Lucy said softly, her voice muffled behind her hand. Levy almost looked sad, but quickly smiled and hurried to reassure Lucy.

"It's alright. Everyone's been doing it. I guess...I guess we really did become good friends." She said disbelievingly.

"Why does that sound so surprising to you?" Lucy asked then, curious.

"Because of what he did," Levy responded with a frown. "You weren't there Luce. He was...he was pure evil with a capital 'E'. What kind of person takes that much pleasure from the pain of others?"

Lucy was about to remind Levy of just how much of a beating she received from the Iron Dragon Slayer as well when suddenly, as if on cue, the subject of their conversation stepped up to the pair, staring expectantly down at Levy. After a long silence stretched out, Gajeel huffed impatiently.

"Come'on, Short Stuff. Lily found us a mission."

Levy blinked, ignoring the condescending nickname, then took a moment to turn every which way, wanting to be sure that Gajeel had indeed been addressing her.

Then, as if seeking further confirmation, she squeaked out, "me?!"

"Train leaves in twenty minutes. Lets go." He responded, looking her dead in the eyes before stepping past her towards the exit.

Lucy laughed nervously and reached out to pat Levy reassuringly on her knees as the Celestial Mage stood to leave. "Have fun!" She called, then laughed as she danced away from Levy's poor attempt to swat at her.

Levy stood, her legs suddenly feeling like stone beneath her, finding it difficult to move forward. She felt a familiar weight land on her shoulder and she turned her head to smile nervously at the exceed.

"You remember me, don't you Levy?" The black exceed asked sweetly.

"Of course Lily. How could I forget you?" Levy answered without thinking. Ahead of them, Gajeel froze mid stride for half a second before he roared loudly.

"Let's go, dammit!"

Levy squeaked and shuffled quickly up to the Iron Dragon Slayer, walking a short distance behind him. She felt Lily pat her shoulder gently.

"Don't be afraid, Levy, I'll make sure he plays nice." Lily stated pointedly and he heard Gajeel mutter something under his breath ahead of them as they walked out into the waning evening light.

The rest of their walk to the train station had been a silent one. Levy had remained at Gajeel's back, struggling to keep pace with him as he stormed ahead. Levy could feel his seething aura, which did little to reassure her about her current situation. Since when had she started going on missions without Jet and Droy? Especially missions with such a gruff and demanding individual?

Apparently, according to everyone else she'd spoken to regarding her amnesia, she'd been doing it more and more often over the past few months. The three of them were nigh near inseparable. She shouldn't be surprised that Gajeel had invited, or bullied, her into coming on this impromptu mission.

* * *

She was currently sitting across from Gajeel and Lily on a bench seat within their own private cabin on the train. The red hues of the setting sun spilled inside the cabin, bathing them all with its warm glow. Gajeel was staring blankly out of the large window and Lily was blissfully peeling and eating a small pile of kiwis between his legs. Levy fidgeted with her hands as she stared down at her lap, feeling a little awkward in the silence that surrounded them. She heard shuffling then and saw in her peripherals that Gajeel was digging for something in his coat before he suddenly thrust a rectangular object at her.

"Here."

Levy glanced up at the object, her eyes widening as she focused on a book. She reached up slowly and took it from his hand, staring at the cover as that nagging sensation pulled in the back of her mind again.

"You were reading that book the day that...the day of the incident." Gajeel stated, watching her trace her fingers over the books cover before she flipped it open to a dog-eared page, her hazel hues glancing over the words.

"Thank you," Levy found herself saying reflexively, then glanced up to see Gajeel nod once before returning his almost bored glare back out the cabin window.

"It's a love story." Gajeel muttered then, his eyes still staring distantly. "About a man who had done some pretty bad things to a woman in his younger years and spent the following years as he grew into manhood secretly followin' her around, being her shadow and savin' her from several dangerous situations in an effort to repent for his sins against her. Pretty sure it's yer favorite one."

Levy looked down at the title of the book, What If. She turned the book over in her hands, not recalling a bit of the story he had just summarized for her.

"It must have been what triggered you to ask me that day," Gajeel continued solemnly, almost as if he were thinking out loud.

"What did I ask you?" Levy asked, her interest piqued.

Gajeel turned his garnet hues towards her then, regarding her with a hint of remorse.

"You asked me if I thought we would have ever crossed paths again if I hadn't joined Fairy Tail."

Levy swallowed as the cabin seemed to draw in around them, Lily having faded somewhere in the back ground. It was suddenly only her and Gajeel.

"And what did you answer?" She asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"I told you that it was hard to say, and that seemed to make ya very upset, because you tried to laugh it off by sayin' that even if we had, you were certain that I wouldn't have remembered ya anyway."

"Oh," Levy breathed, leaning back on the bench once more.

"You started crying then, and ran from me before I could say what I wanted to say." Gajeel added, his eyes boring into hers.

Levy swallowed hard, finding it hard to ignore the significance of what he was telling her.

"What did you want to tell me?" She hedged, wondering if he would say it now; wondering if it still mattered to him despite the fact that Levy couldn't recall anything about the day that he was sharing with her.

Gajeel stared at her for a long moment. This was it, his chance to tell her what he wasn't able to before she had run from him, consequently leading her to the point where he'd been erased from her life up until a few days ago.

He swallowed hard. "I wanted to tell ya that the day that I forgot you would be a cold day in hell."

Levy felt her cheeks heat with a deep blush as she practically felt the conviction in his words, his tone suggesting that she was more to him than she had ever thought possible, given their dark beginning.

"If I hadn't joined Fairy Tail, I probably would have followed ya like the man in the story, makin' sure you were safe, and savin' yer ass from harm because Mavis knows your team mates suck at that job."

Levy couldn't help but stare at Gajeel, her heart suddenly hammering hard against her ribs as it galloped. Was he saying that he wanted to live a love story...with her?

"There's no way in hell I could have ever forgotten what I did to you either. It still haunts me to this day, Levy, and I doubt that would change even if I were half way across the world from you in some other country."

It was oddly freeing, speaking to Levy frankly like he was. It was her, but it was almost as if he wasn't confessing all of these deep emotions to her, since she couldn't remember their times together, and therefore had no emotional investment in him at the moment. He doubted it had as much impact now as it would have a few days ago before the incident. If only he had raced after her right away...

"But...you slipped away from me, got attacked by some etherious being and lost all memories of me after the day that I attacked you." He stated bitterly, crossing his thick arms over his chest before he returned his gaze out into the darkening countryside beyond the window.

"None of that matters anymore, because now yer the one who doesn't remember me." His tone was cold and she heard the pain in his words.

How could you forget me?! He wanted to shout, but bit his tongue, knowing it truly wasn't her fault. Whatever being that had sought to entertain themselves by making him suffer was the one to blame.

Levy sat there silently, taken aback by how powerfully her body responded to his words, not to mention the evident pain and sadness she heard in his voice as he shared what had happened and his thoughts regarding it. It beckoned a new question to form in the forefront of her mind and she worried on her bottom lip as she contemplated asking it.

She decided not to. Not right now anyway. The best way to find out would be to get to know the Iron Dragon Slayer...again. She stared at Gajeel for a long moment in the waning light, taking in features that she hadn't allowed herself to see before, being as blinded by fear as she was initially. He was actually handsome. Despite the perma-scowl he wore and the piercings that made him look fiercely primal, he had the face of a God. Albeit a dark, underworld God who's wicked grins could make a man wet themselves. But he'd also cast an almost sexy smirk towards her a time or two, like when he'd caught her chewing on her bottom lip. A fierce, intimidating, sexy underworld God. His billowing black mane was as untamed and unruly as he was. Levy noticed how a few locks fell to frame his face, and she took notice of the wide headband that covered his forehead, wondering if she had some sort of influence over that accessory. His arms that were crossed over his wide chest looked strong, muscled and scarred as if pages to his own story, telling of his strength and the hardships he'd endured. Her eyes continued a slow path down his form, noting the taper of his hips and how he sat leaned back on the bench, his powerful legs spread wide in a cocky manner, those dark heavy boots planted firmly on the floor. She had no doubts about just how capable Gajeel was in keeping her safe, as Lucy had claimed he had done on several occasions. The contrast between what she knew of Gajeel and what everyone was telling her about him was quickly helping her to open up towards the object of her nightmares. She trusted her guild mates with her life, and they seemed to trust Gajeel. She had trusted him with her life before, so why shouldn't she now?

A deep yawn suddenly tore her from her musings and she heard Gajeel grunt across from her as he stood, reaching above her head in the luggage bin for something. A moment later he had pulled down his backpack and laid it beside her before patting on it suggestively for her to use as a pillow. Levy tucked her legs up behind her on the bench then and lay down on her side, her head pressing into Gajeel's pack, which was surprisingly comfy.

She watched then as he shrugged out of his overcoat and tossed it over her unceremoniously before he returned to his seat. Levy murmured a soft thanks as she fidgeted with her makeshift blanket, feeling her cheeks warm as she suddenly found herself engulfed in Gajeel's scent as she pulled his coat up over her shoulders, the worn collar where his scent was the strongest pressed against her nose. The heat from his body was trapped in the material and surrounded her with his warmth as she took a reflexive breath and sighed. His scent was far from unpleasant and ironically it instantly made her feel safe; protected. Butterflies were sent scattering in her belly.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she closed her eyes.

Gajeel watched her snuggle into his overcoat out of the corner of his eyes, feeling a twinge of hope at her actions. She was already warming up to him, if the way she had been checking him out was any indication of her changing sentiments. He smirked then as he leaned back against the padded bench, sparing a glance down at Lily who had curled up and gone to sleep himself at some point in time.

He had decided at the last minute to bring Levy along on their mission, hoping that the time alone with him would show her more than words could say about how much he'd changed. It would especially give him the chance to show her just how much she meant to him, something he hesitated to do before because it seemed sissy-like to do so. Funny how such trivial reasons were so quickly thrown out the window when suddenly faced with the reality that he'd squandered their time together before and had truly taken the bookworm for granted.

He was suffering for it now, slowly bleeding out from the hole in his heart; a hole that kept getting bigger every time she said things to her friends like "how could I forget you?" He'd also overheard what she had said to Lucy about him being evil with a capital 'E'. It took everything in his power to keep a neutral face as he stepped up to her, being reminded of her hatred towards him.

He watched her sleep, curled up beneath his overcoat, covered in his warmth and scent, and silently hoped that he might at least find his way into her sweet dreams.

* * *

Gajeel awakened her a few hours later once they reached their destination. Levy had shyly handed his coat back to him and watched as he donned it once more before quickly gathering his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Lily stood in the cabin doorway, silently waiting for the two before he turned and started leading the way off of the train and into the chill early morning air.

Levy couldn't control the shivers that wracked her body as she walked behind Gajeel and Lily, only minutes before being curled snug and warm in the trains cabin, to only have her blanket taken and forced out into the cold dark. She glanced around at her surroundings, trying to place where exactly they were. The moon was full overhead, bathing the sleeping town in its soft white glow. Only a few other souls were wandering around at this time of night and Levy could tell by their gaits and boisterous conversation that they were a bit intoxicated.

Hugging her arms around herself, she continued behind the two-man team as they moved towards the town's inn, holding the door for her as she gratefully stepped inside, sighing a breath of relief as the warm air within enveloped her, taking the chill from her skin.

Lily sent her an apologetic smile, knowing that she hadn't had time to pack any extra clothing for herself. Gajeel simply moved past her without a second glance and stepped up to the front desk, seemingly unfazed by the way the elderly woman behind the counter gawked at him.

"One room, two beds." He grunted simply and scowled when it took the woman a second longer to register his request. After he was handed the key and given quick directions to their room he turned and started walking away in the direction the woman had gestured.

Lily and Levy fell in step silently behind him and Levy didn't miss the sympathetic gaze the older woman had sent her way. No doubt she had felt sorry for Levy, to be holed up with such a cold and dangerous looking fellow. Without thinking, Levy flashed an easy smile at the woman and watched as her face contorted almost comically with confusion before they disappeared down a long corridor. Some things hadn't changed, she guessed. The Iron Dragon Slayer still elicited a fearful reaction from people purely based on his appearance.

One room. Levy felt her face flush at the idea of sharing a room with the Dragon Slayer, but then quickly tried to convince herself that it wasn't much different than sharing the one train cabin as they had. The only difference was that the room had beds. At least he had requested two, she further consoled herself.

Levy waited until they were inside the room and the door locked securely behind them before she dared to start a conversation, needing an answer to a question that had been burning in her mind for a while.

"So what's the mission?" She asked as she stood to the side, watching the other two go about setting their bags down and doing a ritualistic sweep around the room, opening drawers, checking behind curtains, peeking in the closets. It made her realize just how thorough and cautious the two were, a vastly different scene than when she was on missions with Jet and Droy. The two of them usually just flung themselves onto the beds without a second thought and remained there until the morning.

"In the morning, Shorty." Gajeel grunted tiredly as he finally deemed the room safe enough to plop on the side of one of the beds, the mattress springs squeaking a protest beneath his weight. He let out a long sigh before allowing himself to fall back, arms spread out as he bounced slightly against the bed from the action. Levy watched as his eyes closed and she wondered wordlessly if he was just going to doze off in that position.

Quietly, she shuffled over to the other bed, eyeing it longingly as fatigue suddenly weighed heavy on her shoulders. Lily came padding out from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand, as he moved back to his bag, trading it for a small blanket that he pulled along behind him almost child-like as he made his way to the bed that Gajeel was spread out on.

He offered her a comforting smile as he hopped up beside his partner, then moved to tug hard at a pillow that currently rested beneath one of Gajeel's arms. Levy blinked as she watched Gajeel's lips part in a mischievous grin and she heard a very distinct laugh rumble from his chest.

"Gihee."

His movements were lightning fast as Gajeel gripped the pillow in his hand and sat up with a jerk, whirling towards Pantherlily as he wielded the fluffy weapon like a club, whacking Lily full force, which sent the tiny exceed sailing off of the bed to tumble onto the floor.

Levy couldn't help the gasp that flew from her mouth as she watched poor little Lily get pummeled. From the other side of the bed where he had landed she heard the exceed sigh annoyingly.

"You're such a child."

"Giheehee," Gajeel laughed, the sight of it causing the breath to catch in Levy's throat. He was being playful?

His laughing was cut short, trailing off into a strangled huff as Lily suddenly shifted into his battle form and leapt at Gajeel, tackling him back onto the bed before the two rolled to the floor with a loud thud as they scuffled.

Levy watched the two wrestle, seeing genuine enjoyment on both of their faces and she couldn't help but find it incredibly endearing. She never would have thought in a million years that the Dragon Slayer had a playful side. She felt her lips tugging into a smile as she watched them reach a draw before they released each other and slowly dragged themselves back up onto the bed, panting and chuckling between themselves.

"That's three for me, one for you, Lily, gihee. Yer gettin' rusty." Gajeel teased as he caught his breath.

Lily sighed as he shifted back into his smaller form, the bed springing up beneath him from the lightened load. He grumbled as he reached and claimed the pillow that he'd been smacked with minutes before. "Says the man who lost an arm wrestling match with Cana."

"Oi!" Gajeel shouted, not caring whether he woke the whole building.

"I let her win," He defended himself as he rolled onto his back. "The bets against her were being put in a pot to go to the orphanage."

Lily smirked to himself as he settled onto the bed, curling beneath his blanket. "Sure, sure." He mumbled, pretending to placate his partner.

Gajeel grunted as he crossed his arms behind his head, his eyes suddenly shifting around the room as he searched out Levy. He found her standing beside the other bed, staring dumbly at him as if he'd sprouted a second head.

"What's the matter, Shrimp? Need me to read you a bed time story?" He teased, flashing her one of those fanged smirks that made her insides flip flop.

"N-no!" She stammered, embarrassed that he'd caught her staring at him. She whirled quickly then and stomped off into the bathroom, closing the door behind herself. She was certain she heard his distinct laugh from across the room as she sank back against the door, her heart hammering against her ribs.

A playful Gajeel was an incredibly attractive Gajeel. His teasing and his nicknames started to shed some light on yet a different side of him; another characteristic she never would have associated with the man.

Levy hurried to finish up in the bathroom then opened the door. Her eyes widened at the sight before her and she froze in the doorway.

Gajeel had stood from his bed and was turned away from her, currently in the process of pulling his shirt up over his head, revealing the broad muscular expanse of his back. Levy watched as muscles bunched and rolled as he moved, seemingly unaware that she was gawking at him. He tossed his discarded clothing onto a nearby chair and turned to the side as he looked down and started working at the buckle to his belt, giving Levy a tantalizing view of his sculpted abs. She felt her mouth begin to water generously as she swallowed thickly, her pulse rushing in her ears. He pulled the buckle loose and simply let go, allowing his pants to drop in a heap to the floor. He stood there, wearing just a pair of boxers, and stepped casually back towards the bed, preparing to climb beneath the covers when his eyes finally caught her standing there.

There was that fanged smirk again.

"Change your mind about a bed time story?" He asked, a playful gleam in his eyes. Levy didn't trust herself to speak so she quickly shook her head from side to side.

"Get some sleep, then." He grunted as he slipped beneath the covers and settled on his side, facing away from her. Feeling incredibly stupid for being caught so openly staring at him, she dove into her own bed and buried herself beneath the covers, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm her racing heart.

It hadn't even been quite twenty-four hours yet since she had awoken from the incident. Less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been running from Gajeel as if the devil were nipping at her heels, screaming in fear. Now, incredibly, she found herself warming up to him at an unprecedented rate; something she hadn't really felt was possible.

It was his eyes.

What she remembered about the night that he had attacked her, his eyes were constricted and cold; detached and uncaring as he beat her with his bare hands and iron clubs. Now, they were warm and vibrant, alive and effervescent. He seemed incredibly happy, being surrounded by friends and the family that was Fairy Tail. He'd grown immensely as a person and she could see his fierce loyalty towards her guild mates, and towards herself.

Levy couldn't help but wonder about the book he had handed to her on the train. Had he taken the time to read it since the incident? He didn't seem like the kind of person to read, unless there was a strong motivation involved. He knew the story, though, so he must have read it. Levy was usually too self-conscious about reading romance novels to share them with her friends, let alone a male friend.

What was his motivation in reading it then? Because it was her favorite? Because it may have offered a clue as to why she'd asked him the question that she had? Every reason she could speculate all led to the same conclusion. It was because he cared.

She had been upset and ran from him; had gotten attacked and knocked unconscious for days. He probably got impatient to talk to her himself and turned to the book for answers.

She wondered then, why it was her favorite book. Could it be...because it's story sounded so similar to her own supposed history with Gajeel? The question that she had been wondering to herself on the train resurfaced in her mind and she felt herself blush as she contemplated asking Gajeel. Maybe she would tomorrow...

A soft snore tore her from her thoughts and she pulled the blankets down from over her head to peer over at Gajeel. He was still facing away from her, his thick black mane shielding her from seeing any trace of his face. Lily had curled up behind the mans knees and was sleeping peacefully. It was another endearing sight. Something else suddenly caught her attention, the realization making her heart skip a beat.

He'd left the lights on for her.

Levy settled back down under her covers, laying on her side facing him as she watched his shoulder rise and fall with gentle breaths as he slept. She wondered then, whether he left them on because he didn't want her to be afraid, or because it was their unspoken sign to each other.

 _I'm always lookin' out for you_. His deep voice echoed in her mind. She quite literally felt her heart melt a little at that thought. She closed her eyes, savoring the warmth that spread through her body. Perhaps she was reading too much into it, but she fell asleep with a smile on her lips. It was a nice thought. A romantic thought and yet another surprising attribute that the Dragon Slayer possessed.


	3. Chapter 3

_**What If: Chapter 3**_

Levy awoke the next morning to find that she'd been left alone. She rose with a frown, slowly rubbing the sleep from her eyes and spied a note that had been left on the small bedside table between their beds.

She picked it up to inspect it.

 ** _Don't do anything stupid._**

 ** _~Gajeel_**

Levy snorted. Was she really contemplating last night that the Dragon Slayer had a romantic side? Much to her annoyance, they'd disappeared before she was able to get information about their mission. How was she supposed to help if she didn't have any idea what they were doing.

Grumbling to herself, Levy rose from the bed and smoothed down her dress, frowning at the wrinkles that covered it. Well, she supposed with her free time waiting for them to return she could take a walk around the town. She needed a coat and she might even find a book store. That possibility brought a smile to her lips and she headed to the bathroom to make herself as presentable as possible before she headed out of the room.

She grabbed a quick cup of coffee from the breakfast buffet before stepping out into the bright morning sun, inhaling the fresh air outside deeply. The air was pleasantly warm, which she was grateful for, and she started walking down the sidewalk, her hazel eyes sweeping around her casually as she took in the sights of the town.

People bustled about, some setting up stands to sell their wares, others looking hurried as they made their way to work. Levy could see beautiful snow capped mountains that surrounded the town. The numerous trees that dotted the landscape were a kaleidoscope of fall colors; reds, golds, and oranges that made the scenery as beautiful as an oil painting. She moved casually, staying off to the side out of the way and cheerily sampled treats as they were offered to her when she passed by numerous bakery's and coffee shops. Finally, she found a small book shop and happily ducked inside.

"Tch, figures." Gajeel snorted, amused as he watched the blue haired Script Mage disappear into a book store. Beside him Lily chuckled.

"Still just as predictable as ever." The exceed stated with a smile. Gajeel shifted from a prone position to sit on his heels as he sighed. They had been covertly observing from the rooftop of a store since the break of dawn.

"She could be in there for the rest of the day." He whined, his garnet hues sweeping the ground below them.

"At least in there, she won't do anything stupid," Lily teased, referring to the curt note he'd left for her that morning.

"Except for buying a pile of heavy tomes that I will end up lugging around." He grumbled.

"Look, there." Lily said low, his tone serious.

Beside him Gajeel perked, his eyes following the direction of his partners gesture as he zeroed in on a man that fit the profile of the one they were hired to find and subdue.

Clover Town had been experiencing a rash of violent muggings over the past few weeks. Each time the victims describe the same man; tall, muscular, and middle aged with red slicked back hair. Stupidly, he seemed to repeat his method time after time. He would strike up a conversation with an unsuspecting woman, put on the nice guy act, invite her for lunch or coffee or whatever, and once alone with her, would assault her and take her purse. Strangely, every victim also reported that with a single touch, it seemed like they were put in a trance like state, unable to move for themselves, which suggested the use of some type of magic.

Gajeel smirked as he watched the man weave in and out of the crowds that filled the sidewalks below. He was certain that this was the man that they were after. He had a certain air about him, a barely hidden malicious gleam in his eye as he slyly glanced from woman to woman, searching for a target. A sinking feeling grew in the pit of his stomach as he saw the man nearing the same book store where Levy was shopping. Gajeel saw her inside, just beyond the large storefront windows, her nose already in a book as she stood before the packed shelves.

"Just keep walkin', asshole." He growled low as he watched the man slow in front of the book store windows, his head turning as he looked within.

The man stopped and Gajeel felt his heart drop like a brick to his gut.

He watched the man fixate on Levy beyond the window as he stood there, contemplating, then, to Gajeel's horror, moved towards the doors and casually stepped inside.

"Mother fucker." Gajeel spat, already raising to his feet. Beside him, Lily stood too, sparing a glance up at his seething partner.

"What are the chances?" Lily mumbled, his statement lost to the wind as Gajeel was already leaping down from the roof and stalking towards the book store in the distance.

Levy sipped blissfully at her coffee, lost in her mind as she read the book in her hand. She was so absorbed with the story that she didn't notice the shadow that fell over her as a tall figure stopped to stand right behind her. Nor did she hear the subtle clearing of a throat, or the softly spoken "excuse me." It wasn't until she was tapped gently on the shoulder that she was pulled from her reading paralysis. She jumped, slightly startled, and turned to see a strange man standing behind her, an amused gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Levy laughed, embarrassed, then stepped aside as the man reached for a book she'd been blocking seconds before.

"You were dug in like a tick," the man teased, his voice silky smooth. Levy giggled, her cheeks blushing.

"Eh, haha, yeah...it's a bad habit of mine." She admitted sheepishly, then eyed the book the stranger had grabbed. "Oh, that's a good one!" She beamed, gesturing towards the book in his hands.

"Yeah? I hope so! The first one in the series really built up a great setting. The author is very talented in describing every minute detail." The man smiled.

Levy felt a strange feeling blooming in the back of her mind, almost like a numbness that was spreading slowly. She blinked through it until suddenly it spread to her neck and down her spine. She sucked in a ragged breath, as if she could feel icy fingers fanning out over her back.

The man before her grinned, his eyes gleaming dangerously, as the books in their hands simultaneously fell to the floor.

"Your coffee looks almost empty. Care to join me for another cup? My treat." He asked, his voice suddenly venomous and, much to Levy's horror, her body started moving on its own accord as she stepped up beside the man, her skin crawling as he draped an arm around her shoulders and started leading her towards the coffee bar within the book store. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but her jaw was set tight.

Oh no! She cried within her mind as panic coursed through her. She was trapped within her own body, unable to escape. All she could do was watch. Just like that, she'd left herself vulnerable to attack. Gajeel's written warning that was left for her this morning drifted to the forefront of her mind as she was forced to walk beside the strange man.

Don't do anything stupid.

She was such an idiot. She should have been more on guard; should have taken the hint that they weren't on a vacation by the way Gajeel and Lily had meticulously swept the room last night. Had she unwittingly found herself in the clutches of a man they had been hired to catch? What were the chances? If that were the case, however, Gajeel and Lily would be somewhere close by, right?

As if on cue, Levy heard heavy footfalls stomping up behind her and in her peripherals a familiar hand clamped down on the mans wrist and jerked his arm back from around her shoulders. A very pissed Gajeel roared.

"Fuck off!"

Levy's body dropped like a puppet cut from its strings but she was caught mid fall as a powerful arm curled around her waist then lifted to crush her against a broad chest. Feeling trickled slowly back into to her limbs, though weakly at first, and she managed to bring her hands up to clutch at Gajeel's shirt as he supported her. She felt his chest moving with heavy breaths, anger rolling off of his form in waves. Levy dared to glance up at him, seeing his vehement glare fixated on the man who had targeted her.

Somewhere behind her, she heard Lily address the man sternly.

"You are hereby placed under arrest for the string of crimes you have committed recently in Clover Town."

The man sniggered defiantly. "Really? What evidence do you have, gentlemen, that I've committed any of these supposed crimes?" He asked coolly.

"We don't need evidence." Gajeel snarled.

He laughed again. "On the contrary. You need evidence before lawfully arresting someone."

"A confession will do." Gajeel countered. Levy felt his arm release her as he gently pushed her to stand at his back, which she did a bit awkwardly, still holding on to his overcoat, not trusting her legs to hold her up just yet. He took the mans hand that was still held captive in his grip and twisted cruelly, sending the man to his knees with a pitiful howl of pain. Levy noticed that Gajeel's hand was covered in iron scales as he held onto the criminal. That must have been how he'd done it then, Levy realized. The man possessed some sort of tactile magic that took control of his targets neuromuscular system, giving him full control of their bodies. Levy silently praised Gajeel in that moment for his quick wit, knowing the man's magic wouldn't work through his iron scales.

"Any time yer ready," Gajeel seethed before applying more pressure. The man twisted in agony before a sickening pop echoed within the book store as his arm dislocated from his shoulder.

"Okay! I did it, I did it!" The man screamed and Gajeel squeezed a final time, the bones of the man's wrist cracking before he released the limb to fall limply to the ground beside the criminal. Gajeel turned back towards Levy then, leaving Lily to take care of the rest of the situation as he easily scooped her up in his arms and carried her out of the store, away from the gathering crowd of onlookers who quickly parted to let him through.

Unbridled rage surged through his veins at the sight of the man's hands on Levy . He wanted nothing more than to turn around and beat the guy into the bleeding pile of worthless shit that he was. But the instinct to get her somewhere far away and safe took precedence.

"Can't take ya anywhere, can I?" He asked with an exasperated sigh as he stalked. Levy glanced up at him, her face burning with embarrassment and anger at herself for needing to be rescued yet again.

"It's not like I asked to be targeted!" She snapped up at him, watching his jaw twitch at her quip.

"No, but I asked ya not to do anythin' stupid."

"I was reading a book!" Levy yelled incredulously, not seeing how that action was stupid.

"Yer too trusting with people." He growled. "That's stupid."

"Is that so?" She countered, suddenly feeling burned and started flailing in his arms. "Put me down, Gajeel Redfox!"

"No." He replied curtly.

"You think I'm stupid for being too trusting with people, then I must be a damned fool for trusting you, out of everyone!"

He abruptly stopped in his steps, causing Levy to pause in her movements. Then, very slowly, he settled her down onto the ground, his face hidden beneath the shadows of his hair; unreadable. Once on her feet, Levy felt her legs buckle beneath her, still weakened from the paralysis magic and her hands reflexively shot out to grip onto Gajeel's hips, steadying herself. To her chagrin, he'd kept ahold of her elbow the whole time, as if he knew all along that she still needed his support.

Her cheeks puffed irritably.

"Are you done?" He asked.

"Whuh?" Levy murmured, caught off guard by the coolness of his voice.

Gajeel looked down at her hands that gripped at his hips and she followed his gaze, then quickly drew her hands back as if she'd been burned, standing ramrod straight. Her cheeks were sent ablaze all over again.

"Can't trust me, after all, huh?" He mumbled as he moved to step around her, still only letting go when he was certain she wouldn't fall. Levy followed him with her eyes, feeling her heart wrench painfully at his dejected tone. Immediately, she regretted what she had said. He'd been nothing but honorable and patient with her since she awoke from the incident. Her accusation was a cheap shot that obviously struck a nerve with the reputably tough skinned man.

"Where are you going?" She found herself asking his retreating back, her tone sounding more desperate than she wanted to admit.

He didn't answer her and kept moving away down the sidewalk, leaving her standing there alone, and suddenly feeling very cold.

Levy followed him.

She kept at a good distance, shuffling at first, not wanting to be obvious. He was probably aware of her actions anyway, with the heightened senses she knew Dragon Slayers possessed.

He led her towards what looked like a central park within the town. The sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze rustled through the autumn colored leaves of the trees that lined the park. A large fountain stood at the center, surrounded by several benches and Levy watched as Gajeel moved to plop down in the center of one of those benches. He sat back, arms stretched out to lean against the back of the bench, legs planted wide, and to her horror, his head fell back, staring up at the sky initially, then as if he possessed some sixth sense, his eyes shot directly to stare at her as she quickly ducked behind a tree.

She waited a few moments before she peered out from behind the tree again, hoping that maybe he hadn't noticed her.

His eyes were closed now, and she felt confident enough to creep out from her hiding spot and started moving closer to him.

Gajeel sighed inwardly, the ache in his chest a constant companion over the past several days. He wasn't going to give up on her, ever, but damn if her words hadn't cut him to the quick just now. He knew exactly what she was referring to; why should she trust him, the person who'd done the worst crimes against her. What hurt the most was the fact that she was right. One-hundred percent. She had every right to hate his guts for the rest of her life, but that's not the kind of person she was; then or now.

As if to confirm the conviction of her character, he took a deep breath and smelled her sweet scent being carried on the breeze. She'd followed him.

He opened one eye to a slit and saw her standing off to his side, her face drawn into a sad smile as he met her gaze.

He decided to keep quiet, not wanting to say something to inadvertently chase her off. Instead, he lifted his head and moved over on the bench, giving her room to sit if she decided to rest beside him.

Levy fidgeted with her hands at her front, acknowledging his gesture, but unsure whether she wanted to sit by his side just yet.

"I'm sorry." She said softly.

"Don't be." Gajeel grunted, surprising them both. "Yer kindness is one of yer greatest assets, Levy." He added as he turned his head away, avoiding her gaze. "Even if it does get you into all sorts of trouble."

Levy moved around to his front then, offering a sheepish smile. "That's what I have you for, right?"

His eyes widened slightly as he met her gaze once more. That sounded so much like something she would have said before. He couldn't help the smirk that tugged at his lips.

"That, and for many other reasons." He teased with a smirk.

Levy moved to carefully settle down beside him. "Oh? Like what?"

Gajeel looked down at her at his side. The gentle breeze stirred her soft blue locks, the sun shining off of them like a halo. She looked just as stunning as always.

"Keepin' the strays away." He said matter-of-factly, his eyes pointedly following a pair of young men who had been watching Levy as they now turned and walked away at a hurried pace. His statement rewarded him with a gentle blush that graced her cheeks as she watched the retreating men.

"What else?" She asked softly as she moved to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Gajeel noted the goosebumps on her exposed skin.

"Keepin' you warm." He answered, his voice almost a purr. Levy's blush deepened as she was reminded of him loaning his overcoat to her as a blanket. She shivered lightly as the breeze picked up around them and she laughed lightly.

"You're doing a horrible job." She teased, looking up at him with a smile. He stared back at her, his face a mask, but she didn't miss the affectionate gleam in his eyes. His arm suddenly fell around her shoulders as he pulled her against his side, turning slightly towards her so she was nestled snugly against his chest. Levy felt her body heat instantly at the contact as waves of pleasure coursed through her, pooling in her belly.

"Better?" He asked, the low grumble of his husky voice vibrating through her body.

"Yes," Levy squeaked and Gajeel chuckled.

A long comfortable silence followed as they sat there for a while, enjoying the day and each others company. Levy had to admit that after the initial butterflies had settled from the constant contact with his body, she felt incredibly comfortable, as if she belonged there. Her body thrummed pleasantly where his pressed against hers.

That question bubbled up in her mind again and she peeked up at him.

"Gajeel?"

"Hmm."

"Were we...that is...umm." She fidgeted nervously as her face deepened to the shade of a tomato. "Were we a couple?"

Gajeel sucked in a breath through his teeth, his insides twisting in a searing knot at her innocent inquiry and the way her voice quivered nervously as she had asked. She was nervous about what answer he would give her and he wondered if that was a good or bad thing. He decided to counter with a question of his own before answering.

"Why do ya ask?"

He felt her trembling lightly against him. "Well, ah...when you touch me...I feel a distinct tugging at the back of my mind and..." She swallowed, certain she was about to pass out from embarrassment from what she was about to admit. "I feel a thrumming in my body...and it's hard to resist the urge I have to touch you back. There's a feeling of familiarity with you that makes me think that...maybe we had become more than friends."

He felt his heart melt at her confession, amazed that she had picked up on their connection so soon.

"No." He answered evenly, every fiber of his being tuned in to her body as he waited for her reaction. He felt her release a ragged breath and her body tensed against him. He tightened his arm around her as he felt her start to lean away from him, suddenly self conscious about being pressed so intimately close to him.

"We aren't a couple. Everyone else seems to think that we are, though, and that we're just in denial. But you are the best thing that I have go'n in my life, Levy, and we've gotten incredibly close."

"So you want us to be more?" She pressed.

"Why is this so important to ya all of a sudden?" He asked cautiously.

"Why wont you answer me?" Levy countered stubbornly, then after a long pause, she gave in to answer him with a sigh. "Because I don't want to hurt you. I imagine it would be painful, to have gotten so close to me just to all of a sudden take a huge leap backwards."

Gajeel smirked down at her. Typical Levy, so concerned about the feelings of others; putting her needs and feelings below those of her friends.

"I don't deserve ya, Levy." He sighed, both as her answer and as a confession.

"But you want to be with me?"

Gajeel huffed, a little frustrated by her persistence. "I want you to be mine with every fiber of my being. You are the one thing that keeps me grounded; the reason I've changed after all of this time. You showed me love when you had every right to hate me. You were the first person to open up to me when I joined Fairy Tail; out of everyone it was you..."

He had averted his gaze away from her, staring at the bubbling water of the fountain before them. Levy noticed the stain of a blush on his cheeks.

"It does hurt that you don't remember anything about us. I've been sufferin' in silence for the last couple of days, but just know that I will never give up on you, and I respect whatever decision you come to in regards to us. If ya need more time to get to know me all over again, then so be it."

He spared a warm glance down at her then.

"I'll enjoy relivin' every moment with you."

Levy felt her heart spasm in her chest at his words. She was actually rendered speechless by a man with a reputation for being an unmitigated jackass. Any remaining doubt was suddenly blown away in her mind; she was certain of it now.

She had loved him. And it was painfully obvious that he loved her.

"You've changed...so much." Levy whispered, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes, in awe of the love she felt from him. She felt an overwhelming feeling of remorse and of a deep loss because she was not certain whether she would ever get her memories back. She'd been robbed of them too.

"Nah," he smirked, seeing her tears and made an effort to lighten the mood. "I'm still an asshole."

Levy giggled and wiped at her tears and found herself saying without thinking, "You can be my asshole."

Gajeel fell back against the bench in a fit of laughter. Levy turned bright red.

"That's not what I meant!" Her hands flew to cover her face, just wanting to fall between the wooden slats of the bench and hide from her embarrassment.

She felt Gajeel stand beside her, a few deep chuckles still rumbling from his chest.

"Let's go, Short Stuff, gihee." He said with a smirk. "I'm starvin'."

They rejoined with Pantherlily and found a nice pizza joint where they could sit casually. Gajeel sat at a picnic table outside the shop, his chin propped in his palm as he leaned on his elbow. A half empty beer mug was gripped in his other hand. He stared quietly at the scenery surrounding them, his eyes drifting as he observed people coming and going. To Lily's surprise, Levy was seated at the Dragon Slayers side and he silently wondered what developments he missed in regards to the dynamics of their renewed friendship. For a moment, it looked like just another day for the pair.

"Thanks for your assistance with our mission, Levy." Lily teased lightheartedly and watched as she puffed her cheeks in frustration.

"Not by choice!" She whined, her hands rubbing up and down her arms as she was chilled by the thought of what could have happened if Gajeel had not been quick enough to stop the man.

She looked over at Gajeel then, realizing that she never did thank him for saving her from that creep.

"Thanks, Gajeel." She beamed, her voice breaking him from his thoughts as he blinked down at her.

"Fer what?" He grunted, apparently missing the conversation that was going on around him.

"For treating us all to lunch, of course." Lily butted in slyly.

"Oi! I ain't buying food for you moochers. Every man for himself." He grumbled before taking a long drink of his beer.

"Good thing I'm not a man then." Levy beamed and Gajeel grunted as he swallowed his drink. He turned his ruby gaze towards her then, his eyes gleaming appreciatively.

"Yes, it is." He purred, proud of himself for putting yet another scarlet blush on her cheeks.

Lily watched the two mages across from him at the table, his brows raising slightly at their flirtatious exchanges. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Levy had warmed up to Gajeel so quickly.

Levy stood from the table then, her cheeks still flushed.

"I'm going to go find a coat before the temperature starts to drop." She stated as she passed behind the Dragon Slayer, moving towards a stand of clothing shops in the distance. "Be back in a few minutes."

"Fine." Gajeel barked playfully. "Don't expect me to save yer pizza though. I'll eat it before it goes cold." He warned her retreating form, slightly disappointed that she didn't have a comeback for him that time.

He turned his head to watch her go, suddenly wondering if he should tag along with her. He decided against it, though. They'd caught the bad guy here and she wasn't going to be gone for long, so there wasn't really any valid reason to worry. He turned back forward then and downed the rest of his beer in one gulp.

"It must just be chemistry." Lily said suddenly, making Gajeel stare at him in bewilderment for a moment before he caught on to his meaning.

"I told her some things...things that I wish I had told her before. Not that it matters now." Gajeel sighed as he drummed his fingers on his empty mug.

Lily offered a reassuring smile to his friend. "She'll get her memories back."

As promised, Levy returned not long afterwards, donning her new coat which hugged her curves nicely, Gajeel noted. She reclaimed her seat at his side just as their pizza was brought out to them. They ate for a few minutes in silence, satisfying their hunger pangs, before Lily turned towards Levy.

"Are there any lasting after-effects from earlier, Levy?" He asked between bites.

Levy paused a moment as she focused inwardly. She hadn't noticed anything, but mentally checked herself just to be sure. She shook her head after a moment. "No, I don't feel anything. Why?"

"Just making sure." Lily stated.

Gajeel sat in silence as he ate, seemingly drawn inside his mind. Levy spared a glance up at him at her side, wondering what he was thinking about. Then, suddenly, as if sensing her inquiring thoughts he spoke.

"Man, it would be great to have a bit of iron to compliment this pizza and beer." He said before sending her a pointed look.

"Eh?" Levy squeaked and watched a depressed pout cross over his features before his head dropped forward in defeat.

Lily spoke up to assist her.

"You usually conjure up some iron for Gajeel to eat whenever we're together for a meal." Then he added teasingly. "He says its the purest, most succulent, sweetest-"

"Shuddap!" Gajeel snapped, cutting Lily off as his cheeks darkened with a blush. "It's good, alright? Better'n the scrappy stuff I normally eat."

Levy blinked, not remembering teaching herself that specific spell before. Her magic abilities had still seemed to be intact though, so she found herself wondering if she still retained that spell too. She must have taught it to herself...just for him.

She held out two fingers then as a soft glow radiated from the tips of her digits. She focused on the spell in her mind, imagining the word 'iron' and the properties of the element itself.

Gajeel watched anxiously, his mouth watering with anticipation.

A moment later, the word 'IRON' poofed in front of them and fell with a clunk onto the table. A signature heart in place of the hole for the letter 'o'.

Gajeel scooped it up possessively, wrapping his arms around it with a gleeful giggle that made Levy laugh out loud.

"Thanks, Shorty." He beamed over at her before he chomped down on the iron, his eyes closing blissfully as he chewed noisily.

"You're welcome." Levy answered shyly, amazed that such a small gesture meant so much to him.

"When did I learn that spell?" She asked curiously before continuing to eat her pizza.

Gajeel was too busy stuffing his mouth to reply, so Lily answered for him.

"For the S-class exam. Metal head offered himself to be your partner because he hated seeing you so depressed from the idea of losing. I'm guessing you learned it then, to have as an emergency power boost for him."

Gajeel nodded along affirmatively.

"That wasn't too long after he had joined, and I dare say that the trials you two endured on Tenrou was the turning point in your friendship."

Levy hummed softly to herself. Gajeel finished his treat and sat back with a satisfied sigh as his arms rose to cross behind his head.

"Yeah, we saved each others asses and you practically carried me all the way back to base camp by yerself." Gajeel remembered fondly. "That started a on-going tradition of us saving each others asses from trouble. So be ready, now it's your turn to save me, gihee."

Lily shook his head quietly across from them as he continued eating.

Levy smiled sadly to herself. She would have to sit down with Gajeel at some point and have him tell her everything. It seemed like she was still missing so many details to their past.

"How could I possibly save you from something that you couldn't save yourself from? You're so strong..." Levy murmured at his side, causing Gajeel to sober and turn towards her. She suddenly found herself wrapped in his arms and crushed against his chest. Her face flushed instantly as she took a reflexive breath, his scent and warmth surrounding her.

"Oi," he said sternly. "I worked hard over the years to build ya up from that self-loathing crap. You are strong, Levy, strong enough to save me from somethin' that I wasn't able to escape for the majority of my life." His voice was stern and he squeezed her tightly before lifting his arms from around her and added a warning.

"Stop it, or I'll be forced to do somethin' about it."

Levy smiled with a small nod, silently wondering exactly what kind of punishment the Iron Dragon Slayer would enact upon her as she sat up straight, but remained pressed lightly into his side.

The sun was starting its descent towards the mountains in the distance, already the air was getting a chilling bite to it as it whipped up around them.

Gajeel stood from the table with a stretch. "Lets get back to the inn. We can catch the evenin' train back to Magnolia tonight."

He turned and suddenly pulled Levy to stand at his side before he started leading them away. He then cast wicked smile over his shoulder towards Lily.

"Thanks for the grub, buddy!"

Levy could have sworn she heard Lily call Gajeel an asshole over the din of the Dragon Slayer's laughter as they quickly retreated.


	4. Chapter 4

_**What If: Chapte**_ _ **r 4**_

Gajeel sat quietly in the soft light of the train's cabin, trying not to focus on the steady twist of nausea in his gut. The gentle rocking motion had eased his team mates into an easy sleep; Lily beside him and Levy stretched out on the bench across from him, but only served in agitating his motion sickness. His eyes drifted over Levy slowly as she slept, taking in the soft lines of her curves beneath her new coat, the delicate curl of her fingers, the sensual swell of her bottom lip as her mouth hung partially open with her gentle breaths. Her soft blue locks lay disheveled over her forehead, the tousled look making her irresistibly sexy. He found himself imagining seeing her laying in such a manner beside him in his bed, and not for the first time either. He shifted with a grunt and stood as he shrugged out of his overcoat to spread over her sleeping form, watching with a pang of pleasure as a faint smile pulled at her lips as soon as her subconscious registered the weight of it upon her.

He sat back down and found himself wondering critically about the etherious being that had attacked Levy just about a week ago. She couldn't remember any of it, so all he had to go from was the split second he saw it in the moment he had finally reached her and had placed his hand on her shoulder to pull her from danger.

It reminded him of the shadow that he'd seen take possession of Rogue back at the Grand Magic Games; the same being that had ordered the other Dragon Slayer to kill him. Had he scorned the being by defeating it and now it was after him with a vengeance? Was it possible then, that it had switched tactics? Instead of going after his life in a physical way, it had attacked on an emotional level, somehow knowing that Levy was his life. How could you fight against something intangible? Something you couldn't see? Just what was it anyway, and why did it want him dead?

The image of a wicked white smile cracked from the shadows of hell was burned into his mind. That was the last thing that he'd seen before him and Levy were knocked out.

"Gajeel..."

The soft moan of his name falling from her lips stirred his body instantly from his silent musings. He peered over at her, seeing that she was still sleeping. Intrigued, he continued to watch her closely. Was she dreaming of him?

Her face contorted painfully and she whimpered softly, causing him to scoot forward on the bench, closer to her.

"No...please!" She started breathing rapidly and Gajeel stood instantly, moving to stand over her. He certainly hoped that she wasn't dreaming of their first encounter years ago. Wanting to cease her nightmares before they wrapped her too deeply in their clutches he reached forward, gently intertwining his fingers with her own as he held her small hands.

"Levy..." He called to her softly, squeezing her hands.

Her eyes opened with a gasp as she woke with a start and he was startled to see tears misting her hazel depths. Then, without warning, she dropped his hands and sat up with a jerk as she threw her arms around his neck drawing herself tightly against him, holding him as she cried.

"It was hurting you," she whimpered against his neck. His arms curled around her as he sat beside her on the bench, pulling her up into his lap.

"What was?" He asked, his deep voice rumbling.

"I don't know," she sniffled. "It was just a face; a scary smile...in the dark." She trembled lightly against him.

"I'm fine, Shorty." He murmured against her hair as he rose a hand to cradle the back of her head, his fingers dipping within her soft blue locks. He felt her hands slowly drift over his shoulders, then down and around to rest against his chest, her face still pressed in the crook of his neck. A searing heat trickled down his spine as he felt her face tilt back, bringing her lips softly against the sensitive flesh over his jugular, instantly raising goosebumps of pleasure to cover his entire body.

Gajeel drew in a ragged breath as he felt her mouth move against him, a soft sigh escaped her lips as they danced feather light against his skin, subjecting him to an exquisitly sweet torture. Her hands pressed closer against his chest, her fingers trailing over the dips and curves of his torso beneath his shirt as her hands explored down before drifting around his hips to trap him in a soft embrace.

"Levy." He breathed her name, his voice deep with the lust that raged in his body from her touch.

He needed a clear head; knowing it couldn't have been a coincidence that she was disturbed in her dreams by the very same being he had been mulling over. And it was attacking him there too. He needed to figure this out, before it found a way to hurt Levy again, either directly or indirectly.

He hated being forced to face a foe he couldn't see; couldn't pummel with his bare hands. It made him feel inadequate; weak.

He drew in a deep breath, taking in the overwhelmingly sweet scent of Levy in his arms, taking one last moment to savor her against him. His intention was to let her go, but when he felt the unmistakable sensation of her mouth parting against his neck as she flicked her tongue out to taste him, his arms tightened around her, crushing her against him as a moan escaped her.

Instantly, his body went rigid, every fiber of his being sizzled to life. He dared to lean away from her, his hand fisting in her locks gently as he looked down to search the depths of her eyes. She stared back at him, her gaze hazed with longing. A groan rolled from his throat at her extremely vulnerable and feminine expression. He wanted nothing more than to lay her down, cover her with his body, and worship her with his hands and tongue until she was weak and sated against him.

But this was neither the time nor the place.

"Are ya alright now?" He asked, his voice pained as he forced himself to untangle from her embrace. Levy blinked as she felt him peeling her arms from around his hips and pushed her gently from his lap as he stood to tower over her.

She took a few breaths to calm her pounding heart, suddenly feeling so incredibly silly. He'd pushed her away; she'd succumbed to an overwhelming desire to be in his arms, had practically melted...felt him melting into her even, but he'd still pushed her away.

Maybe it was for the best.

"Yes," she whispered softly, her eyes downcast. She felt his hand grip her chin then as he tilted her head back, suddenly finding herself face to face with the Iron Dragon Slayer, his gaze was smoldering hot.

"Yer a fool if ya even think for a second that I don't want to finish what you just started." He growled low at her, his eyes glancing down at her lips and he fought the overwhelming urge to claim them thoroughly with his own. He drew in a breath for strength and dared to brush his lips against hers, feather light, teasing, which ignited an intense inferno within his belly that damn near buckled his knees.

He released her chin gently and stood slowly, raking in a few more ragged breaths as he calmed his boiling blood.

Levy sat, her cheeks a deep crimson as her hands fisted on her lap as she too, took a few deep breaths, further detaching herself from the sudden bout of wicked thoughts that had invaded her mind. Her lips still tingled from the ghosted kiss he'd given her and she dared to look up at Gajeel, then, feeling his gaze burning into her skin.

The look in his garnet hues was entirely predatory as he stared down at her, pupils constricted to tiny slits, his eyes faintly glowing in the subdued light with the intensity of his emotions. Such a look would have sent her packing before, just a few scant days ago, but now it gave her a distinctive thrill that made her question her sanity.

He smirked down at her, flashing his enlarged canines, before he schooled his features and returned to sit across from her.

"That face in the dark was what attacked you several days ago, I'm almost sure of it, and it's not the first time I've dealt with it."

He spent the remaining hours of their trip filling her in on his encounter with the being at the Grand Magic Games, how he'd consumed Rogue's shadows to gain his Iron Shadow Dragon Slayer magic and defeated him, causing the strange dark being to retreat. He'd honestly never even thought about it since, although truthfully it wasn't that long ago.

"It seems intent to do me in." He grumbled.

"Then why did it attack me?" Levy complained.

"Simple. To get to me." Gajeel answered, not liking the fact that whatever it was, it was aware of his biggest weakness.

"When we get to Magnolia, yer stickin' with me, got it?" It was a directive, not a question, and the seriousness of his voice caused her to sober and she nodded her head in silent compliance.

"Don't leave my side." He warned.

Levy felt that fuzzy place in the back of her mind tug relentlessly at that statement and she couldn't help but smile.

"I get the feeling you've told me that before."

His cocky smirk was all the answer she needed.

It was close to midnight when they disembarked, the three of them dragging their feet tiredly in unison as Gajeel led them in the direction of home. Levy felt a little apprehensive about staying with the Dragon Slayer in his apartment, especially after their steamy moment in the train's cabin. Not that she didn't trust him; she did, but she found it increasingly difficult to ignore the massive pull she felt to just gravitate into his arms. She didn't trust herself to not make a fool of herself again, nor did she want Gajeel to get the wrong idea of her if she kept throwing herself at him like Juvia constantly did to Gray.

Judging by his reaction, she was almost certain that she'd never done that before, before she'd lost her memories. Ironically, maybe it was the lack of history with the man that made it easier for her to give in to her rapidly developing attachment to him, instead of having memories to serve as moral checkpoints.

Levy fell in behind the duo as they walked up to their apartment. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, as she stepped quietly over the threshold, but she stopped just inside and had to consciously set her jaw to keep it from falling open as the lights were flicked on.

The place was spotless.

Embarrassingly, it was much tidier than her own book littered apartment. She was quite certain there might be a take-out container or two still sitting on her desk at home, now that she thought about it.

Her eyes swept the immediate room that was before her, which she assumed was their living room / recreation room. A large flat screen TV took up residence on almost one entire wall, before it was positioned a sectional sofa. In one corner was tucked a few guitars standing meticulously on their stands beside a small box amplifier. In another corner sat a small collection of weights. Off to her immediate left a doorway opened up into what looked like a small kitchen. Straight ahead was a hallway that led to no doubt a bedroom and bathroom at the far end.

It smelled wonderful too. His scent surrounded her; that faint metallic smell mixed with sandalwood spice and male. Her cheeks blushed as she realized that she'd froze in place and moved inside to allow the door to close behind her. Gajeel sent her an amused glance before he ducked into the kitchen. It wasn't until she'd moved further inside and turned into the living room that her eyes fell upon a small bookshelf positioned beneath a window with a small, cushioned reading nook. Her eyes widened and she leapt at it immediately with a squeak, positioning herself within the reading nook to lean back against a pillow, her eyes searching out the window as she gazed up at the full moon. She felt that familiar tug at the back of her mind that she now knew associated with a particular memory or memories she'd been robbed of.

Gajeel watched her from his lean on the kitchen doorway, his eyes sweeping over the pure joy on her face and in her eyes.

"That was always yer favorite place to relax after a stressful day. I'm pretty sure you came here most of the time just to sit there to read and get away from the world."

"I can see why..." She sighed appreciatively, closing her eyes in the comforting aura of the small space.

"I made it, just for you."

Levy turned her head to look over at the Dragon Slayer then, not trying this time to keep her mouth from falling open as she sucked in a breath.

"Y-you did?" She breathed, her heart constricting in her chest.

Gajeel nodded once, one side of his lips curled up into a cocky grin.

"He got tired of tripping over your books and fighting for his favorite spot on the couch whenever you would visit." Lily said amusingly from across the room.

Gajeel blanched.

"Oi! Don't tell her that!" He hissed at his partner, turning to glare at the exceed who only chuckled and disappeared down the hallway.

Levy giggled softly from her spot, cuddling deeper into the feather stuffed cushions. She had turned her gaze back towards the window, looking at the night sky beyond when she felt Gajeel move up to stand beside her.

"It's late, Short Stuff. You can have my bed tonight." He stated and Levy felt her heart speed up immediately at the thought of sleeping on his bed, under his sheets, cuddling with his pillows, cocooned in his scent. It would be like...indirectly sleeping with him. Her cheeks were aflame in a matter of seconds, and she was silently thankful that he had turned to move away from her.

"If ya want, you can take a shower too. I know we've had a few long days." He trailed off as he moved to plop himself onto the couch, throwing one forearm across his eyes to block out the light overhead.

Levy watched him a moment, lost in her thoughts. She wondered suddenly why she couldn't remember this place, but she had no trouble remembering other aspects of her environment, like the guild hall and the town. Could it be because of how much time she spent here with him before she was injured? As if this place had become synonymous with Gajeel himself. A sudden realization tore her from her silent musings.

"I..I don't have any clothes to change into. I suppose, if you wanted, we can walk to my apartment to get some, if you don't want me going alone." She rambled quietly.

Gajeel grunted at the point she'd brought up and sat up slightly, his face relaxed as he waved off her rambling with a lazy swat of his hand.

"Tch, yer not goin' anywhere right now, and neither am I. I can just dig some of my stuff out for ya."

"EH?!" Levy sat up then, kicking her legs out over the side of the nook as she moved to the edge, her eyes wide as she looked to Gajeel's current clothing, imagining herself being swallowed whole in them.

"I don't think that will work out too well..." She stated nervously as she watched Gajeel stand with a sigh and move around the couch back towards his bedroom.

"Relax, Shrimp. I'll just get the stuff you've worn before."

And with that he was gone, the faint sound of him rummaging through dresser drawers drifted up the hallway from his room.

Levy continued to sit there, in awe. She'd gotten so comfortable with the man that she'd worn some of his clothes before? That meant she'd showered her before. But they weren't dating!? Was she really so scandalous? Gajeel had said that everyone believed that they were dating, but that they were just in denial. This was beyond denial...this was borderline masochism! They must have enjoyed the pain of prolonging the inevitable!

She watched as he appeared from the hallway and moved towards her, dumping a pile of clothes in her lap with a grumbled, "Here ya go."

Levy eyed the pile and brought her hands to grip at the bundle. A hot shower did sound very inviting and it might just help relax her into falling alseep in the Dragon Slayers bed.

"Thanks," she murmured to his back as he had already turned away to return to his spot on the couch. Levy stood then and moved quietly away from her nook, passing by the couch quickly as she retreated down the hallway.

She spent a moment running her hand along the inside wall of the bathroom, fumbling for the light and stepped inside once she finally hit it, smiling to herself at the clean state of it. She never would have pegged Gajeel for a neat freak. Or maybe perhaps it was Pantherlily that ran a tight ship within their shared abode. She placed her small pile of borrowed clothes on the sink's counter, noting the few bottles of cologne and a stick of deodorant. She laughed at herself mentally for even thinking for a half a second about popping the top off of the nearest one to test it's scent; to guiltily snuffle it like some kind of drug. The temptation was strong, but somehow she managed to turn away, barring it from her mind. She refused to stoop to Juvia level of stalker type behavior.

For peace of mind, she flicked the lock on the door before she started to work her worn and wrinkled dress up over her head. Not that she didn't trust Gajeel, it was more of a subconscious thing. She was fairly certain she still even locked the bathroom door whenever she was at home, or visiting a girlfriends house.

Her dress fell to the floor and she kicked off her ankle high boots, wriggling her toes against the cool tiles beneath her feet. Goosebumps rose on her exposed skin and she turned towards the shower curtain, figuring she should start it now so it would be nice and steamy by the time she was ready to climb in.

She pushed the curtain aside with one hand and reached forward with the other towards the single spigot when suddenly a hand shot out and seized her wrist as an arm swiftly hooked around her head from behind the curtain, a sweaty, grimy palm pressed tightly over her mouth and nose, quelling any noises that may have escaped her.

Levy fought hard to stay conscious. The sudden terror had her heart leaping up into her throat and her blood pressure sky rocketed, causing her vision to darken around the edges and her hearing to muffle. She was still able to hear a distinct voice that she'd recently encountered as it spoke in a smooth and cool whisper against her ear, already her body was succumbing to that distinct feeling of detachment fanning out from the points of contact on her body.

"Hello, Levy."

Gajeel heard the shower start within the bathroom and sighed quietly to himself, wishing they were at a place in time where he could join her. The few times she had showered here before in the past he'd made an effort to not make a big deal out of it, to help her in feeling comfortable. It made him happy that even now she was comfortable enough with him to even agree to coming here to stay for the time being, let alone to get naked in his proximity with nothing but a few scant layers of cheap particle board between them that he could easily sneeze on and obliterate.

Something was different this time though. She wasn't humming.

He found himself wondering as he lay there if that was a result of her memory loss, but quickly dismissed that thought. It was just in her nature to hum and sing in the shower. Losing her memories of him wouldn't effect that facet of her personality. So what could it be then? Nerves? No, that wouldn't be it either, since she still hummed the very first time she'd showered there before. He'd found it so incredibly cute and endearing that he'd leaned against the door on the outside, listening intently despite the unapproving glare he was receiving from Lily.

His brows furrowed as that little red flag kept waving in the back of his mind. Was he being too analytical? Surely, he could dispel his mounting unease by simply asking her through the door if she was managing okay without it being too awkward, right?

Gajeel usually wasn't one to wave off his instincts, and he wasn't about to start now, even if it meant startling her for a moment. He rolled off the couch onto his feet and stood, moving towards the bathroom door.

Levy struggled to breathe as the red-haired man from Clover Town had a hand clenched over her mouth and part of her nose in a merciless grip. His eyes were wild, wide with constricted pupils as he grinned ferally down at her. He'd started the shower as soon as he'd dragged her lithe form the rest of the way into the tub. Now the hot water trailed down over her face, over her nose and eyes. She kept trying to shake her head to clear the burning water from her eyes or to gain better access to breathe, but his hold was relentless. Soon she lost all control of her body and she saw that exact moment reflected in his gaze as he licked his lips and dropped his hand, knowing he had her captured like a caged bird, helpless to fight back.

In an instant he pushed her up against the shower wall as his mouth closed over her lips. She recoiled and screamed inside the shell of her body at his assault, feeling her insides crawling as if suddenly infested with a million skittering beetles.

His grubby hands clawed at her ribs, fingers crawling up her bra before they gripped cruelly at her breasts, nails digging like talons into her soft skin. He chuckled low as his tongue traced a slow path across her bottom lip as he thrust his hips forward against her, grinding her hard against the cold tiles at her back.

Levy wailed in her mind, trembling against the horrific plundering of her paralyzed body and the sickening feeling that twisted her guts, making her dizzy with despair. How had he gotten inside the Dragon's den, past Gajeel's impeccable senses, or Lily's too for that matter.

How had he gotten free from his detention? Had a guard slipped up and accidentally made physical contact with the man, giving up control of his body to unintentionally aid in the criminal's escape?

None of that mattered now. What did matter was doing everything in her power to save herself, or to signal to Gajeel or Lily that she needed help. But how?

She was wrenched from her panicked thoughts as one of his hands moved to her face. Thumb and forefinger pressing on either side of her cheeks as he forced her mouth open and plunged his tongue inside as his other hand ripped her bra from her body, leaving a fabric burn on her skin.

Vile revulsion. Levy reeled from the man internally, mentally closing herself off from the waves of nausea he induced with his violations. In her mind she started chanting a spell for Solid Script: Fire; imagined forming the sign with her hand, over and over.

She felt his hand move from her breast down her belly before fingering with the lacy band of her thong, shaking her from her mental resolve to block out his incursion. Suddenly his movements stopped and he whipped his head around. Levy heard it too.

The doorknob jiggled.

Levy felt his magic pull from her body as he was jostled with panic and she wasted no time in using all of her willpower to raise her two digits as she weakly weaved the sign she'd been repeating in her mind.

The word FIRE blazed from her finger tips and crashed into the mans groin as he flinched with a reflexive yelp.

Gajeel was standing on the other side of the door, thinking of the words to say to not startle her after having tried the doorknob and found it locked. His eyes widened as he heard a strange gurgling shout that sounded so different from Levy's voice that he instantly squared towards the door and raised a heavy boot, thigh coiling and snapping as he kicked forward with a vengeance. The door imploded into the bathroom just as Gajeel caught sight of a familiar man shuffling back from Levy, snagging the shower curtain in one hand as he slipped and fell back against the wall, yanking down the curtain and it's holding rod to clatter to the floor.

The noise of that was lost however, as an intense rage Gajeel had never felt before took hold of him as soon as his mind had grasped what exactly was going on.

"What tha FUCK!?" He roared.

Levy had slumped back against the wall, her legs buckled beneath her as she slid down weakly, completely naked save for the scant material of her thong. Sickly purple and blue bruises had already formed on the delicate skin of her breasts where the man had gripped her viciously, small beads of blood welted from where his nails dug into her skin, only to wash away in the steady stream of the shower. Similar welts were worsening on her face and neck. But it was the tears that now freely flowed from her eyes and the look of relief that crossed her face as she watched him explode into the bathroom that pushed him over the edge of his sanity.

His blood red eyes, with pupils constricted to murderous slits, shot back to the man laying in a heap in the bottom of his shower; the man who had the balls to start cackling as he tried to detangle himself to rise.

Gajeel was faintly aware of Lily slipping past him to scoop up Levy in his arms and carry her away; to hide her away from the carnage that was about to take place.

The Iron Dragon Slayer felt the shadows of his magic whipping wildly around him of their own accord, awakened by the primal blood lust surging through his veins. His skin went black as the shadows consumed him, the spike of his magical aura causing the glass light bulbs above the bathroom's vanity and the mirror to shatter into a hundred pieces, cloaking the room in blackness as dark as his soul.

"You sick mother fucker..." Gajeel hissed through his teeth, his eyes still clearly trained on the man in the dark.

"Yer gonna wish you'd just stayed locked up by the time I'm through with you."

The man continued to laugh manically and Gajeel was on him in an instant, one hand gripping the damp material of his shirt, lifting him up while his other fist slammed against his mouth once, twice, three times. Each time his laughter became more irate, fueling the fire of Gajeel's madness as he continued to pummel the deranged man.

Before long Gajeel was drenched with the hot water that continued to spray from the shower head and quite certainly the man's blood as well. He kept swinging blow after blow until that fuckers laughter faded into the faint gurgling sound of a dying man downing in his own blood. He finally felt skull crack beneath his knuckles and he released the man's shirt as he stood straight, roaring a deafening shout within the small room that shook the ground beneath him.

Heaving for breath as he struggled to calm the tremors of his body, Gajeel fumbled for the spigot and turned the water off. He stood there a moment, water and blood mixed to scent the humid air around him and dripped from his hair, his clothes, and his fists. A low growl of annoyance ripped from his throat before he started shedding his clothing, suddenly wanting nothing more than to take the small Script Mage in his arms and hold her for eternity. He needed her, his body called out for her, as if she were the only creature alive to pull him back from the darkness that had consumed him; needed her to calm the beast inside of him.

Lily had wrapped Levy in a blanket and gently deposited her on Gajeel's bed, his soft paws carefully covering her ears from the brutal extermination of the man down the hall. She'd been silently grateful and had closed her eyes, withdrawn inside of herself as her body shivered uncontrollably. Her skin burned where the man had touched her, a sickening knot still twisted in her gut and a foul taste lingered on her tongue. After what felt like an eternity, Lily's paws suddenly lifted from her ears and she felt the bed mattress shift beside her as he moved away. Levy opened her eyes to see Gajeel's body filling the doorway, silhouetted by the light at his back. His eyes shone like the dying embers of a fire as he focused on her small form.

"Levy..." he choked her name out before crossing the distance between them and falling onto the bed beside her, drawing her into his arms that still trembled from the anger that coursed through him.

In that instant, Levy knew it was over; the man was over and would never be a threat to her again. She was suddenly weightless as she felt herself dragged into Gajeel's strong, yet gentle embrace. Her face tilted back to press against the hollow of his neck, feeling his pulse hammering away against her lips. Cool tears started streaming down her cheeks again, the relief she felt in that moment was palpable.

His skin was hot against hers, what she assumed was steam rose from him and the scent of soap clung to him. He must have showered. That knowledge sent a shiver down her spine as she wondered just how much was left of the man that had attacked her. She suddenly found herself tugged free of her blanket cocoon before she was wrapped in his embrace again, his steaming body nearly engulfing hers as he scooped her against his chest. His breaths were purposefully deep as she felt his chest rise and fall against her. His heart pounded behind his ribs at a fast clip as he consciously attempted to calm himself.

She felt undeniably safe in his arms and she found the idea of being anywhere else at the moment simply unbearable, even if she was practically naked.

Gajeel was still trembling with his anger at her defilement, the images of her bruised and weakened body slumping down against the wall of his shower was burned into his mind. He'd failed her; couldn't protect her, and here she was openly accepting his arms around her. She'd cried in relief as soon as she'd laid eyes on him.

He wanted nothing more than to erase that monsters marks from her body and from her mind.

"Are you alright?" He finally breathed, his voice deep and hoarse.

Levy didn't trust her own voice and simply nodded against him beneath his chin.

"You weren't humming. You always hummed in the shower." Gajeel murmured then, his face lowering to bury against her still dampened hair.

Another intimate detail about her that the Dragon Slayer took note of. Despite everything, Levy felt her lips curl into a tender smile. He must have been outside the door, about to check on her when she had managed her small counter attack which drew his attention and he'd burst in to save her.

Warmth coursed through her and she couldn't resist the urge to place her mouth against the skin of his neck, kissing tenderly. She suddenly wanted nothing more than for Gajeel to cleanse her of the horror she'd endured; welcomed his arms around her and the weight of his body against her.

Levy moved her hands against his chest, fingers tracing slowly up over his taut shoulders as she buried them in his damp mass of black hair. She felt him shiver against her as her nails raked lightly against his scalp, felt him swallow against her lips as she kissed his neck again, this time allowing her tongue to lap at a water droplet that had traveled down the curve of his jaw.

Gajeel hummed low as her touch banked the fires of rage within him, replacing them with the steady glow from the warmth of her soul; taking comfort in its light as he felt her pulling him from the darkness. He moved his hands up her back, savoring the silky smoothness of her skin before he buried them in her damp locks. He sucked a breath in through his teeth as her tongue traced a lazy path along his neck, causing his hands to fist in her hair gently.

A low growl rumbled in his throat as her tiny hands tugged at his hair, tilting his head as she lifted her face towards him, surprising him as she planted her lips against his, the sudden hunger in her movements nearly undoing him.

His lips moved to devour hers then, tasting, claiming, demanding as he moved one hand to cup her cheek, his thumb drifted along her jaw line, feather light. The contrasting touch sent a tremor of pleasure to wrack her body against him.

Levy welcomed the thrust of his tongue into her mouth. He tasted as good as he smelled and despite the hard press of his mouth against hers, his tongue was gentle, moving a slow teasing dance with her own that sent wave after wave of delicious heat to spread through her belly, instantly undoing the sickening knot that had been there. As they kissed, she moved a hand from his hair to drift down over his chest, lower still over his stomach, noting how his muscles twitched and jumped beneath her touch. Her fingers glided down until she reached what felt like a heavy towel that he'd wrapped around his hips. She flattened her palm against his skin then, fingers gripping at the thick cord of muscle that covered his hip and disappeared down beneath the towel in that distinct 'v'.

She gasped as she suddenly found her lower lip seized between his teeth before he gently sucked at the appendage suggestively, causing her to arch her back towards him instinctively. Her movements received a growl of approval as her hard nipples pressed against the fevered flesh of his chest.

He couldn't stand it any longer, he needed to be on top of her; needed to cover her with his body in an age old display of domination and possession. Carefully, he rolled over her, pressing her back beneath him as he stretched the length of his hard body to cover her soft and supple one as his mouth moved along her jaw, leaving a trail of tender kisses. He kept his upper body propped up on his elbows on either side of her, not wanting to crush her with his weight. The intimacy of their position sent a jolt of pleasure to radiate throughout his body, a distinct heat started to pool in his belly as he resisted the urge to grind his hips against her.

Levy felt her eyes roll back from the sheer ecstasy of the moment he rolled on top of her, the weight of his body was oddly comforting and extremely intimate as she felt every muscle of his torso flex against her. She imagined those muscles contracting and relaxing against her belly as he thrust into her and she moaned at the anticipating pleasure that coursed through her, shaking her to her very soul.

Gajeel drew in a ragged breath as he continued to trail tender kisses over her bruised cheeks before he moved to the side of her neck, drawing his tongue across her silky skin in a lazy stroke, savoring the sweet taste of her before he clamped his teeth over the curve between her neck and shoulder, her moan of pleasure sweet music to his ears as he sucked and lapped, making his own mark upon her flesh.

He felt Levy's small hands clawing at his sides as he devoured her, felt her chest raising against his as she panted beneath him. He continued his slow perusal of her body with his mouth, leaving hot kisses across her collar bone before he finally lifted his head, peering down at her soft mounds and perky nipples.

The beauty of her was marred by bruises; marks left by the man that now lay dead in his bathroom, wrapped crudely in his shower curtain. Gajeel had never felt so possessive over something, or someone, as he did in that moment. Levy was his and his alone. He wanted nothing more than to hide her away selfishly as his treasure, to covet her and protect her as Dragons are want to do.

He scowled as he eyed the bruises on her breasts and he felt Levy start to move to cover herself, suddenly self-conscious. Gajeel captured her hands one by one and stretched them above her head, holding them in place with one of his large hands as he allowed his other to trace lightly over the purple marks on her creamy skin.

Gently, as if she were made of porcelain, Gajeel covered one of her breasts with his hand, the taut bud of her nipple pressing against his palm as he pressed against her. His mouth had lowered to her other breast, greedily drawing it in and dragging his tongue over the hard nub, suckling, lapping and was rewarded with the most exquisite mewls from her lips. He moved to seal his lips over one of the small puncture wounds, the heat of his mouth and flick of his tongue drawing a droplet of blood from the site. The sweet metallic taste of her blood exploded on his tongue, causing his eyes to roll back as he moaned low. He'd thought that her magic iron had tasted good...the taste of her blood was simply nirvana.

A sudden searing hot rush jolted straight through him. His groin ached painfully, his rock hard cock ready to explode at the slightest touch.

Panting hard, Gajeel released Levy and reluctantly pushed himself up above her at arms length, carefully lifting his hips off of her to relieve the pressure against his erection.

Levy lay flushed and panting beneath him, her arms still surrendered above her head, her breasts rising and falling with every breath. Her lips were moist from his kisses, her eyes hazed over with such an intense look of lust that Gajeel had to close his eyes against it; against the vision of the blue haired angel beneath him.

He wasn't prepared for her pained voice that came next, sweet and pleading as she spoke, "Gajeel...please."

 _Oh my fuck_. Gajeel groaned internally, feeling a pulse of his boiling blood surge straight towards his cock. He drew in another ragged breath as he managed to open his eyes, refocusing on Levy.

"Gimme a sec, Levy." He breathed. "Yer about to make me cum everywhere."

He watched her eyes widen ever so slightly at that knowledge, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red and Gajeel panicked for a split second, thinking that he may have scared her off with his admission. But, to his utter surprise, he watched that lustful look return to her eyes, a mischievous glint to them.

He swallowed hard.

Levy had been laying there, her body tingling and sizzling beneath the Iron Dragon Slayer's body, his hands and mouth taking her to heights of such carnal pleasure she'd never experienced before. A distinct ache began to grow between her thighs and she felt herself become incredibly wet from Gajeel's ministrations, wanting more and more from the Dragon Slayer, feeling that ache grow and spread to her belly, leaving her with a strong desire to have him fill her, completely, body and soul.

She'd cried internally as he'd drawn away from her and she stared up at him, watching him look as if he were struggling some internal battle. He looked so incredibly hot; sweating and panting above her and it made her feel so very feminine to see him reduced to such a state because of her.

Then he'd told her that he needed a moment, and the reason why made her blush crimson. But then something else took over her, something vixen and wanton that made her feel inexplicably powerful. She'd reduced The Great Black Steel Gajeel to a sweating, panting mess. A string pulled taut, ready to snap.

She moved an arm to snake up around his neck, hooking her elbow around him as she gently pulled him down. He ceded, lowering himself carefully back onto her body with a groan, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he grimaced, concentrating. Levy lifted her head then, bringing her lips to his ear as she seized his lobe between her teeth, sensually running the tip of her tongue over his piercing and flesh before releasing it to bite the sensitive part of his neck just below his ear.

He bucked instantly against her, hissing a breath at the action and shuddering as he tensed. Every muscle of his body was taut, fighting for control.

Levy was hell bent to undo him.

She shifted her hips and spread her thighs beneath him, allowing his lower torso to dip between her legs, bringing the thick head of his cock right to her wet entrance; only her scant thong and his thick towel barred him from sliding inside of her at that moment.

A choking sound ground from Gajeel's throat as she shifted beneath him, opening herself up to him, and then he felt her legs raising over his hips, her ankles locking behind him as her other arm moved to drift over his shoulder and back, finger tips tracing feather light at first only to dig into his flesh as she tilted her hips against him, sliding his cock against her core. Pleasure and pain mixed, the exact ratio for an explosion and the frail thread of his control snapped.

His body lurched and he was suddenly pushing away from her, escaping from her grasp as he practically leapt to the side of the bed, his back to her, cursing under his breath as he tore the towel from around him, welcoming the cool air of his room on his molten hot nether regions. The slightest rub from the fabric would have had him spilling his seed everywhere. His chest heaved with his breaths, fists balling at his sides.

Behind him, Levy started to giggle.

Incredulously, he jerked his head around, eyes wide, looking down at her writhing like a succubus on his bed, her lips curved in an easy, sexy, knowing grin as she watched him.

"Little vixen," Gajeel hissed, a little amused at her antics, and very pleased with them as well. She welcomed him, clearly wanted him, and was discovering the power of her body against him. The dominant side of him growled internally at her challenge, but another part of him lusted after her that much more.

Two can play that game.

After regaining control of his body, he turned back towards her, descending upon her with a dominating aura as he darted his arms on either side of her bottom, his forearms raising to cross against her belly as he brought his face down to her core. His arms flexed, pulling her towards him at the same instant he hooked a finger around the material of her thong and easily tore it away. His tongue dove between her slick folds and he pushed down with his arms, keeping her hips from bucking him away as he lapped at her essence, growling at the exquisite taste of her.

Levy gasped out loud as soon as he was upon her. He didn't give her the chance to feel embarrassed or to fight him before his tongue was suddenly, very intimately, licking at her core. Her body moved on its own accord, her back arched and her hips bucked as his tongue grazed over her clit in slow, deliberate, lazy strokes meant to drive her crazy. His strong arms barred her from escape as he greedily tasted her, sending jolt after jolt of intense pleasure through every fiber of her being. Her hands moved to tangle in his hair, clinging desperately as he drove her very quickly towards the edge of release. That blazing knot grew tighter and tighter in her belly, coiling like a spring, ready to snap with blinding force.

Gajeel decided that he could live an eternity with Levy like this, and still never get enough of her. He was the first man to take her to these heights, and he'd be damned if he wasn't the last. Mine. Mine. All mine, his inner voice growled as he flicked his tongue over her clit, enjoying the feel of her thighs spreading against his shoulders, the way her hips tilted for him and the breathy moans and mewls his actions drew from her lips.

His cock was back to aching with a vengeance much sooner than he had hoped.

She was getting close, so close to release. His whole idea was to punish her for nearly making him explode; to get her close to her orgasm only to withdraw and watch her reactions, curious whether she'd be furious with her frustration, or cry out for him. But now, all he wanted to do was rise up, cover her with his body, and fill her to the hilt with his cock.

Gods, he was so close too. Just the smell of her, the taste of her, and the sounds she was emitting was enough to push him towards the explosive release he needed.

He drew his tongue against her in one last slow stroke and paused, breathing hard against her as she writhed before him. He felt her little hands fist in his hair, her hips tilted towards him suggestively and when he didn't immediately continue he heard a short puff of a frustrated sigh escape her.

Then she cried a soul shattering, heart rendering, cock exploding mewl of a plea, "Please Gajeel, I need you."

"God, Levy," He rumbled, his voice strained as he held desperately on to the last fiber of control. He allowed his tongue one last leisurely lap at her core before he pushed himself up, shifting to his knees as his hands clamped on either side of her waist, sliding her towards him, her open thighs slapping against his own. The thick head of his cock traveled the same path his tongue had taken, drifting between her slick folds and grazing against her clit.

Levy sucked in a breath and arched against the bed as she felt his cock so intimately graze her core. Fire enveloped her as he drew back slowly and rubbed himself against her once more just as slow and deliberate as he dared. Blindly, she reached down, her fingers tracing over his defined abs before she placed her palm against them, feeling his muscles contract and release as he thrust slowly against her. He was driving her wild with need, drawing out her pleasure, making her both desperate for and wishing against her release.

Sweat trickled between his shoulder blades as he thrust between her pussy lips, his hands gripping tighter against her waist as he drew closer to exploding all over her belly. At her word, he'd thrust himself deep into her, no doubt cumming instantly as soon as her heat enveloped him. Gajeel bit at his lower lip again, his brows furrowed as he concentrated. He must maintain control. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, or ruin this intimacy by doing something she didn't want.

She was suddenly tugging at his arm, pulling his body down towards her as she embraced him, her lips pressing against his as he lowered himself on his elbows above her, the shift in his position moving his cock flush against her entrance as her thighs spread once more to accommodate his hips. She rolled her hips slowly, pressing against the head of his cock and he flinched as he felt her entrance stretch over him at the slight intrusion.

He was so close...so close to claiming her...dangerously close to cumming.

He groaned against her soft lips, then whispered, "I...I can't hold out much longer."

"Then don't." She replied softly.

The alpha male inside of him roared triumphantly as he moved his arms to circle around her in a tender embrace, bringing her entire body flush against his. He wanted her as close as possible when he claimed her body, mind, and soul.

He crushed his lips against hers as his torso flexed, thrusting his cock slowly past her entrance, feeling her slick, warm walls stretching to accommodate the size of him. He felt her fingers claw against his sides and he withdrew gently, only to thrust forward again with more strength, the squeeze of her canal against him was soul shattering. He broke their kiss to tilt his head back, growling with pleasure as he slowly filled her, then withdrew and thrust forward again; each time pushing deeper within her until he had seated himself to the hilt inside of her.

He felt her lips brush against his neck as she kissed him tenderly and he tightened his arms around her as he withdrew once more and thrust back, harder and faster.

"Oh, God, Gajeel..." She breathed against his damp skin. With each thrust his cock grazed a bundle of nerves deep within her canal, stroking it, spreading heat to her belly and down her legs to her toes; jolts of white hot pleasure that pushed her up to the edge of her release.

Gajeel felt her walls tighten around him, the pressure unbearable and he thrust hard a final time, ripping a cry of ecstasy from Levy's lips as she clenched and spasmed around his cock, her contractions sending him over the edge of his own release as he thrust within her again, feeling himself pulsing hard within her, filling her with his hot, virile seed.

They shuddered and clung to each other as they both careened off of the edge of their forceful releases, taking what felt like an eternity before their pulses calmed, their breaths evened out. Gajeel remained buried inside of her, loath to withdraw himself from such a fiercely primal position. He felt Levy go lax in his arms, completely sated, and he managed to roll to his side, dragging her along with him as he locked his legs with her own.

Before long he knew that she had dozed off in his embrace, tucked safe against him. He'd cleansed her of her hellish encounter that night, silently promising her with his body that she had nothing to fear; that she was safe and that she now irrevocably belonged to him. He'd protect her with his very life if he needed to.

Gajeel managed to reach behind him and tug a blanket up over their entangled bodies, surrounding them with warmth and the alluring scent of their lovemaking. His nostrils flared and he felt his cock reflexively jump, still buried inside the small woman in his arms. The joining of her scent with his was like an aphrodisiac and he felt himself growing rigid once more.

Holding her close, he dared to scantly move his hips, gently stroking her insides in a delicious friction that had his pulse racing in no time. A low groan rumbled deep in his chest and he felt Levy stir in his embrace, her slender arm moved to weakly grip around his side as she was roused from her sleep with the fire he started to spread through her body once more.

He felt her mouth press against his chest as she hummed softly, flicking her tongue out to taste the fresh gleam of sweat that gathered on his skin.

"No rest for the wicked, Levy," he purred into her hair as he thrust deeper within her, drawing a gasp of pleasure from her lips.

"Then I hope you're prepared to fuck me until dawn," was her haughty reply that so surprised the Iron Dragon Slayer that he froze in his motions, then watched with shock as Levy pushed against his chest with all of her might, rolling him onto his back as she moved to sit astride him, her thick thighs squeezing his hips as she seated herself upon his already raging hard on.

"F-fffuck..." he stammered, staring up at the visage before him. Sleep, sex tousled blue hair hung wildly about her sweet face, an incredibly sexy grin tugged at her lips. His innocent little bookworm was replaced by this sensual wild cat of a woman, awakened from his touch, and he found himself stunned by awe in that moment.

She was all his, and he was undeniably all hers.

He felt his lips draw into his own signature smirk as his hands suddenly clamped over her waist as he thrust up deep inside of her, watching as her head fell back, exposing the smooth curve of her neck. Her back arched towards him, the creamy globes of her breasts bouncing from the jerk of his movement.

"Ah, Levy...that's just what I intend to do." He purred low, and made good on his promise.


	5. Chapter 5

_**What If: Chapter 5**_

Pantherlily cracked one eye open warily as he lay curled on the back of the couch in the living room, watching his partner saunter out from his bedroom before dragging his feet into the kitchen. His thick black mane was unusually messy, stuck out at odd angles, and his body looked flushed, a thin sheen of sweat glistened off of him in the gentle rays of morning light that spilled in from the living room window.

The small exceed grinned knowingly, he would have had to have been deaf to miss what exactly had taken place between the man and the small Script Mage the remaining hours of the early morning.

It was amusing, seeing Gajeel looking so frazzled, beat up, and dog-tired. He heard him rummaging in the cupboard for a glass before he filled it with water from the tap, gulping it down loudly before refilling it another two times.

"Long night?" Lily asked gently, his voice carrying into the kitchen. He heard Gajeel pause, then a moment later the Dragon Slayer emerged with a purely male smirk on his lips, his eyes gleaming with sexual satisfaction and accomplishment.

"Good God, Gajeel." Lily murmured. "Will she be able to walk today?"

"Oi," Gajeel frowned, hurt by the insinuation. "I was very gentle with her. She's the crazy one, just look at my back!" He complained as he turned, pulling his hair aside as he gestured with the thumb of his free hand at the numerous lines of scratches that crisscrossed his back.

Lily chuckled. "Surely, you're not bothered by this."

Gajeel turned back towards his friend. "Gihee, nah," then after a leisurely stretch he added, "She'll be able to walk, if she even wakes up today."

Lily stood with a stretch then too. "Good. That will give us time to take out the trash without her noticing."

Gajeel sobered, being reminded of the corpse that still remained in their bathroom. His fists clenched at his sides, remembering the rage he felt last night.

"How'd he get past us, Lil?" He asked then, his voice deep.

Lily shook his head, just as perplexed as his partner.

Levy stretched languidly on the Dragon Slayers monstrous bed, her movements suddenly reminding her of all of the delightful things he'd done to her all night; things that left every muscle in her body tender and sore.

A blissful smile tugged at her lips as she snuggled deeper into his blankets, inhaling a deep breath as she savored his scent, and the unique smell that the blending of their bodies made. She felt her cheeks heat with a blush. She'd made love to Gajeel Redfox...the dark and dangerous Iron Dragon Slayer. The man with the reputation around Fiore of being hot-headed, cruel, and vicious had been gentle, tender, and sensual with her body and soul; spent hours worshiping her and made sure she was entirely satisfied before allowing her to finally drift off, exhausted, in his arms as the early rays of sunlight had started to drift in from his bedroom window.

A giddy shiver washed over her and she sighed, opening her eyes slowly as she peered around her. Gajeel was gone. The room was lit with sunlight and she rubbed her eyes against the brightness of is as she sat up with a light groan. Lowering her fists from her eyes she immediately focused on a familiar garment. Her dress lay stretched out on the foot of the bed, with fresh undergarments too and Levy recognized it as a dress from her wardrobe back home. He'd gone there to grab it for her while she slept?

The gentle sound of a guitar being played drifted into the room, breaking her from her thoughts and she quickly reached for the clothes, pulling them on as she carefully dropped from the side of the bed and stepped gingerly out into the hallway. She shuffled quickly by the bathroom, not wanting to be reminded of her awful encounter (no matter how much her bladder was currently screaming at her) and moved out into the open living room, stopping as her eyes rested on Gajeel's back as he sat perched on the side of the couch, acoustic guitar in his hands as he played, his deep voice singing softly.

"I'm in love with an angel, heaven forbid,

Made me a believer, with the touch of her skin.

I'd go to hell and back with you,

Still lost in what we found.

Worlds apart we were the same,

Until we hit the ground.

Maybe I'm crazy maybe I'm weak,

Maybe I'm blinded by what I see.

You wanted a soldier, but it wasn't me,

'Cause I could never set you free.

So fly on your own,

It's time I let you go.

Go, go."

Levy felt her heart melt in her chest, his voice was sensual, the chords of the guitar strummed with skill and the music was almost sad, longing. And the lyrics...

"I'm in love with an angel, who's afraid of the light.

Whose halo is broken, but there's fight in her eyes.

Walls were built to keep us safe until they're crashin' down.

Worlds apart we were the same,

Until you hit the ground.

Maybe I'm crazy maybe I'm weak,

Maybe I'm blinded by what I see.

You wanted a soldier, but it wasn't me,

'Cause I could never set you free.

So fly on your own,

It's time I let you go.

Go, go."

Slowly, Levy stepped around to the front of the couch, her appearance didn't seem to deter him from continuing to play as his eyes moved to glance at her, his lips moving into a soft smile as he sang.

"The walls are built to keep us safe until they're crashin' down.

Worlds apart we were the same,

Until you hit the ground.

Maybe I'm crazy maybe I'm weak,

Maybe I'm blinded by what I see.

You wanted a soldier, but it wasn't me,

'Cause I could never set you free.

So fly on your own,

It's time I let you go.

So fly on your own,

It's time I let you go.

Go, go."

Her hazel hues focused on his fingers as they danced over the frets, moving up and down the guitar neck as his other hand strummed the strings, picking at them to emphasize a few notes every now and again. She watched him, completely in awe as he finished the song.

After a moment Levy realized that he was quietly watching her watch him and she shook herself from her stupor. Would he ever stop surprising her?

"That was beautiful, but it sounded sad too. Did you write that?"

Gajeel stood from the couch, moving to place his guitar back in its stand in a nearby corner. He was still shirtless, clad in a loose pair of black cloth sweats. His wild black mane cascaded down his back, looking tamed once more, unlike the unruly mess she'd last seen it in from their love making. Her eyes focused on the numerous scratches across his back and she sucked in a breath, her face flushing from sudden embarrassment.

"Nah, just a song I heard on the radio. The lyrics reminded me of someone so I taught it to myself." He answered her before he turned towards her and she smiled sheepishly up at him as he moved to stand before her, his red hues regarding her curiously.

"What's that face for?"

"Your back," she whispered, looking away as her cheeks blushed deeper. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not," he replied with a feral grin. "It doesn't hurt, Short Stuff. You'd have to do a lot more than that to hurt me."

Levy nodded and returned her eyes to look up into his as he looked down at her with a glimmer of affection in his eyes.

"Are ya hungry? Thirsty? It's just about dinner time. We can go somewhere if ya want...get some fresh air."

"Dinner time!?" She gaped, watching his face twist into a proud smirk.

"Yep. You've slept all day, ya lazy bum." He teased, his enlarged canines flashing.

"It's your fault." Levy retorted with a huff, her face burning.

He snorted. "My fault?! Which one of us said 'fuck me until dawn' last night then?" He reminded her, enjoying the way she squirmed and buried her face in her hands from embarrassment.

"Yer such a slave driver." He purred, certain that steam would start pouring from her ears at any moment.

"And you hated every minute of it, I'm sure." She teased back behind her hands.

"Just as much as you hated it."

A loud grumble from her stomach interrupted their flirtatious banter then and Gajeel chuckled as he reached up to tousle her hair before stepping away from her.

"Lemme grab a shirt and we'll go."

Levy glanced around self-consciously for Lily then, wanting to apologize to the poor exceed for being subjected to too much information, but she didn't see him anywhere in the living room or kitchen.

"Lily's gone?" She asked loudly enough for her voice to reach Gajeel in his bedroom.

Gajeel returned, wearing a plain white T-shirt that clung to his torso, accentuating the cut of his muscles and exposing his strong arms from sleeves that hugged the dip between his biceps and deltoids. Levy felt a jolt of arousal spear straight to her belly at how sexy he looked and she had to quickly look away before her thoughts went straight to the gutter.

"He left to take out the trash and to consult with Master about how to deal with the Magic Council."

His words sobered Levy instantly, knowing exactly what the "trash" was that he was referring to. She looked back to peer up at him as he came up to her side. Her face had paled instantly, realizing with stark finality that Gajeel had killed the mage last night. He killed him because he'd hurt her.

Gajeel offered her his best comforting grin, and as if he could read her thoughts he added, "Don't worry about me, Shrimp. Wouldn't be the first time I've gone before the council...and probably wont be the last."

"But you were protecting me." She whispered, feeling a lump starting to form in her throat. Not even a week ago she never would have put protector and Gajeel in the same sentence. But now it was hard for her to put callous, heartless asshole and Gajeel in the same sentence. He was utterly amazing and it seemed that at some point he'd relinquished the key to his heart to her hands and hers alone.

His face had fallen into a tranquil mask as he stared down at her, his ruby hues searching hers. Levy felt his arm snake around her then, hand splaying against the small of her back as he pulled her forward against him. He leaned his face towards her, canting his head as he claimed her lips in a chaste kiss before he rumbled, his voice dangerous, possessive, "and I'd do it again."

He let her go as quickly as he'd scooped her in and moved to walk past her as she inhaled a breath, savoring the heat that had spread to her belly before she quickly slipped on her boots and followed him closely out of his apartment into the evening air.

"Let's head to the guild." She stated as she shuffled up beside him, having to double time to keep up with his long strides. "I've been thinking about this shadow and I want to look at some information in the archives; watch the footage of your fight from the Grand Magic Games. It might give up some clues."

"Sure," he replied easily, slowing a bit as he watched her struggle to keep stride with him. His eyes drifted over the dress he'd chosen for her. He'd purposefully rummaged for that one in her apartment, having not seen it on her in a while and it was one of his favorite ones. It hugged her curves nicely, the black fabric with metal studs that decorated the top and bottom hems matched most of the wardrobe that he wore himself, minus the flowing lace skirt that trimmed the bottom, of course. The top was strapless and showed off the creamy curves of her shoulders. The bottom fell shorter than some of her other dresses, giving a generous view up her upper thighs that had him groaning in his mind, remembering how they'd spread over his hips.

He cleared his throat and looked away from her in time to see two young men oogling at her from across the street. He sent them a murderous glare that had them turning about-face in unison back in the direction they'd come from.

Levy seemed oblivious to it all, seemingly lost in her thoughts as Gajeel had to gently grab her upper arm to steer her away from an obstacle on more than one occasion.

She almost walked into a lamp post and he finally reached to grab her hand, tugging her against his side and snapping her from her thoughts.

"What are'ya thinking about?" He asked as he turned them down a different direction.

"That song you were singing." She answered, then cut to the chase. "Who's the angel?"

He peered down to her at his side, smirking. "Why d'ya wanna know?"

Levy tried to control her blush. "Just curious." She murmured, looking away, noticing that they were nearing the guild and Gajeel squeezed her hand before letting her go.

"I'll meet ya in the library. I need to see if Master is here to talk to." He said as he pushed open the doors to the great hall, letting her step in before him.

Before Levy could turn and confirm his request, he had stepped away from her and started heading towards the staircase that led to the guild's second floor. She watched his back as he sauntered away, trying to ignore the slight burn in her chest. He never really seemed to answer her questions out right and she found it a little irritating, but he always found a way to answer her sooner or later whether directly or indirectly.

She would just have to wait.

Before heading to the library, though, she needed to relieve the almost unbearable pressure of her bladder. She turned and hurried quickly to the bathroom, emurging a few minutes later then started heading towards the library where she was supposed to meet up with Gajeel.

"Leeeevvvyyyy!" Two familiar voices called in unison and the Script Mage turned to see Jet and Droy rushing up to her.

"How was your mission?" Droy asked anxiously as her two team mates stopped before her.

"It was alright. Nothing too complicated." Levy replied with a smile, not wanting to get into the details with her friends and suffer their overprotective triads about her being in danger, which was so incredibly ironic, considering whenever they went on missions together she more often than not ended up saving the two of them...as if they could protect her...unlike Gaj-

"What's that on your neck?" Jet asked suddenly, jarring Levy from her thoughts like a slap to the face. She felt the blood drain from her head as her hand reflexively rose to cover the spot between her neck and shoulder, suddenly remembering with vivid detail that Gajeel had bitten her there last night then tenderly sucked and licked the spot as she writhed in his arms.

His mark. That's what he'd purred in her ear before he'd moved on to licking other parts of her body. She remembered briefly thinking how archaic of a gesture that was; so very male, as if it were an unspoken signal between them, like marking their territory. Gajeel was an alpha male after all.

"Uh, it's nothing." Levy waved frantically at them, her face suddenly on fire. "I bumped into something on the mission, that's all...y-you know...clumsy me."

Jet and Droy exchanged suspicious looks before their eyes returned to her, both of them glancing at the other bruises she was sporting.

"Did you walk into a cactus, then? Because you have bruises on your face and..."

"Oi, I thought you were heading to the library?" Gajeel growled behind her as he stepped up to her side.

Jet and Droy glared at the Dragon Slayer accusingly.

"What happened to Levy?" Jet stated then, his tone bitter.

"Huh?" Gajeel grunted, his thick arms crossing over his chest as he looked down at her two team mates.

"She's got bruises all over. Look at her face! And...and...there!" Droy added, gesturing to the cleavage of her breasts that crested the fitted top of her dress, the purple-yellow bruises and small punctures peeking above the material.

"I'm not sure I like yer tone," Gajeel growled then. "Just what are you gettin' at?"

Levy moved to stand between them and addressed Jet and Droy. "It's fine guys. Gajeel took care of it. I'm fine." She said quickly, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Not like the two of you losers have any room to criticize me." He stated and watched with satisfaction as the two of them bristled.

"Get off of your high horse, Gajeel. Looks like you couldn't protect her either." Jet bit back.

Gajeel's jaw twitched.

"Enough! Please!" Levy shouted, one hand pressing against Gajeel's chest and the other against Jet.

The sudden upset and anxiety coupled with the lack of subsistence in her body had Levy seeing stars in her vision as it started to tunnel in. She staggered to the side as a wave of dizziness hit her and Gajeel reached forward to steady her in an instant.

"Levy!" Droy shouted, but hesitated to move towards her as Gajeel wrapped an arm around her shoulders, scowling at her two team mates in a silent challenge, before he turned her in the direction of the library and led her there. It was only when the two of them stepped down into the cool dry air that smelled of ink and parchment that Gajeel finally spoke.

"What do ya want to eat, Short Stuff? I'll go'n get it for ya."

"I'm not hungry." She murmured as she immediately set to searching for the archive tomes she had in mind. "Did you talk to the Master?"

"Tch, yer stomach says otherwise and no, he wasn't in his office. Don't try to change the subject. I've been listenin' to yer gut grumblin' the whole way here. Plus you just about passed out back there." Gajeel retorted as he watched her.

When she still didn't immediately answer he grunted and turned to walk away.

"Don't go far." He called from the stairs.

"You're the one leaving." She replied flippantly.

He paused to scowl at her over his shoulder. "'Cause yer too stubborn to take care of yerself."

"I've lost my appetite." She said cooly as she started climbing a ladder to reach a higher shelf.

"'Cause of those two bastards?" He asked, suddenly wary of the thought of her having another near fainting episode while she was up that high.

"You gotta keep yer strength up, Levy." He chastised her as he turned back and leapt down the stairs to stalk up beneath her. "You haven't eaten in twenty-four hours and..." He trailed off as his mind was filled with all of the ways he worked her small body last night. Those thoughts coupled with the view of her rear end as he stood beneath her at the base of the ladder suddenly had his cheeks flushing.

"Get down from there before I yank ya down." He growled.

Levy tried to pull herself closer along the shelves to one of the tomes she needed, but the wheels of the ladder wouldn't budge. She looked down to see Gajeel stubbornly blocking it with one of his heavy boots, scowling up at her.

"Hey!" She shouted, less peeved at the fact that she couldn't move and more at the fact that he could clearly see up her skirt. She held on to the ladder with one hand as she frantically tried to shield herself from his eyes with her other hand.

He laughed beneath her.

"A little late for that. Ain't nothing I haven't already seen anyway." He stated with amusement, still carefully watching her as she fumbled.

"Why don'tcha just come down...at least until you've gotten somethin' to eat." He watched her pause, so for extra measure he added softly, "please."

Levy sighed heavily and hurried down the ladder then moved to a nearby table with a huff as she sat.

"Now," Gajeel rumbled low as he moved to lean against the table top, his face drifting close to hers as she caught him eyeing her lips. "What do ya want to eat, Levy?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**What If: Chapter 6**_

Gajeel stalked towards the guild's bar, his thoughts circling around the blue haired Script Mage, wondering what had soured her mood so quickly. Two distinct faces popped into his head as he flagged Mirajane down at the other end of the bar. Her two cheerleaders had set her off, and maybe even a little of the blame fell on his shoulders too, though he was reluctant to admit that.

What Jet had said had him seeing red, made his fists ball at his sides- mostly because it was true; it was what he was thinking himself last night after Levy was so brazenly attacked in his own home. It just pissed him off, hearing the truth from someone like Jet...someone with a chronic history of letting Levy down; of failing to protect her.

"Good evening, Gajeel." Mira's lilting voice broke him from his thoughts and he grunted in response, making her giggle.

"What can I get for you this evening?" She asked then.

"Two steaks, medium rare, a basket of fries and two grilled shrimp kabobs. Oh, and a Caesar salad...dressing on the side." She just had to ask for a salad to poke at him, because he warned her to order some actual food, not some kind of rabbit roughage.

"Anything to drink?" Mira added as she wrote down his order.

"Uh..." Crap, she hadn't told him what she wanted to drink. His mind drifted back to how irritable she'd become and he instantly settled on the matter.

"Wine." That should help take the edge off.

Mira cooed and Gajeel proceeded to ignore her as she started to day dream no doubt about himself and Levy.

"Hey, Gajeel."

The Iron Dragon Slayer felt his spine stiffen at the familiar voice calling him, then heard the owner of said voice walk up behind him.

"What?" He replied icily.

Then it was the other clown that chimed in, and Gajeel had to hand it to him for having a lick of sense to leave him be.

"Jet, just let it go. Levy doesn't want us fighting. You saw how upset she was."

Gajeel felt Jet's eyes burning into the back of his skull, so with a roll of his broad shoulders he swiveled on the stool he was half sitting on, turning around to boldly stare into Jet's eyes. He saw fire in them and he felt one side of his mouth curve up in his signature smirk, the anticipation of a fist fight sending tingles down his arms.

"You got somethin' to say to me?"

"You better keep your hands off of Levy." Jet snarled and Gajeel cocked one eyebrow at the demand. "If I ever find out that you put those marks on her, I'll kill you."

Gajeel blatantly laughed in his face, making Jet livid, his nostrils flaring.

"Yeah, I'd like to see ya try." He taunted, then dipped his chin as he glared coldly at Jet beneath his studded brows, all amusement drained from his face as he stood to his full height from the stool as he stared the man down.

Jet wouldn't be cowed and stood his ground, staring with equal hostility back at the Iron Dragon.

"You don't know nothin'. Only one of those marks is my handiwork 'cause she actually wanted my hands on her. It's great that it was the first thing you pukes noticed though, 'cause we all know what it means; Levy is mine and I'll kill anyone who gets between us or touches her, just like I killed the bastard who dared to force his hands on her last night."

Gajeel watched Jet's eyes widen as he spoke, his lips pursed and fists balled at his sides, body taut with barely leashed rage.

"You have no right..." Jet seethed between his teeth, his words biting into Gajeel's own self doubt when it came to the Script Mage.

"That's for Levy to decide." Gajeel growled back. "Not you two worthless sacks of shit."

Droy whined at the insult. "I'm not a part of this."

Gajeel had to hand it to him, Jet was fast. He had a fraction of a second to react as Jet swung his fist right towards his smug face. Gajeel brought up his own hand just in time to catch Jet's fist before it connected to his mouth.

A feral grin spread across Gajeel's lips as his hand clamped down mercilessly on Jet's fingers before he yanked the man forward and swung with his other hand, his iron hardened knuckles connecting with a sickening crack against his cheek bone, sending Jet sprawling off to the side.

Jet was back on his feet in an instant and charged Gajeel, using his immense speed to catapult his shoulder straight into Gajeel's gut as he rammed him, sending the Dragon Slayer slamming back against the bar with a crash, the thick planks of wood snapping at his back.

Gajeel coughed, the wind knocked from his lungs as he doubled over and through the pain he managed to clamp one arm around Jet's torso, locking him in place as his free hand delivered a hard blow to his back, right above his kidney and then shifted, grabbing the smaller man by the head as he shoved down, bringing his knee up to forcefully connect with his face.

Jet fell back, a stream of blood flying from his broken nose as he writhed on the floor in pain.

The guild had gone deathly quiet around them, everyone watching, but no one daring to jump in to the fray.

"Had enough?" Gajeel roared down at Levy's team mate, towering over him, his fists balled; ready for more.

"Gajeel!?" Levy's shrill voice called from somewhere within the crowd that had gathered. He watched her push through, her face flushed then drained to white as her eyes took in her team mate rolling on the ground in his own blood.

"Stop it!" She yelled, moving up to kneel beside Jet, placing her hands on his shoulders reassuringly.

"He started it!" Gajeel spat, his heart twisting at the sight of her helping Jet; feeling a sting of betrayal, as if she automatically chose Jet's side over his own.

"And you just had to finish it?" She asked, her eyes finally glaring up into his.

"Fuck yeah, I did." He growled. "Punk's gotta be put in their place, and your friend is no different...make'n threats at me. He thought that I-"

"Enough, Gajeel." Levy cut him off as she helped Jet stand, Droy on his other side as they started moving their team mate towards the infirmary.

"Oi!" Gajeel shouted towards her back, feeling his stomach tighten into a sickening knot when she didn't stop or turn back. "Are you fucking kiddin' me!?" He shouted at her as she disappeared around a corner.

"Food's ready!" Mira's cheery voice sounded at his back, nearly snapping the last bit of restraint that Gajeel possessed in that moment. He sucked in a few heavy breaths, trying to calm the rage, and the hurt, inside of him.

Then, off to his side, he heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat. He looked to see Makarov standing there, hands clasped behind his back and face expressionless.

Gajeel sighed heavily then turned to scoop up the food and wine and stepped over to the short statured guild master.

"We need to talk." Makarov said evenly and Gajeel nodded curtly.

Levy was dreading going back down into the library. She'd scanned the guild hall as she had returned from the infirmary, looking for Gajeel, but failed to spot him anywhere. He was probably waiting for her in the library, she surmised and started to slowly walk in that direction, trying to gather her thoughts before seeing him again.

Jet and Droy told her everything, though she could tell it pained Jet to admit that he was wrong in goading Gajeel. Levy told them everything too, well...almost everything. She told them about the mission, the parts that she'd left out earlier about being attacked, and also about her dream and Gajeel wanting them to stay together until they figured more out.

She told them about being ambushed at Gajeel's apartment and how he'd held her the rest of the night (she still with held the more intimate details). She chastised her friends for even thinking that Gajeel would hurt her intentionally and made them promise to stop living in the past; that if she could move on in the span of a week, they should have been the best of friends by now.

Jet had asked her straight if her and Gajeel were a couple now and Levy had hesitated, not really knowing the answer to that herself. Were they? There certainly was a high level of emotional investment that he held towards her, and in the past week her whole image of him had been flipped upside down. She'd grown alarmingly attached to him, attracted to him, which culminated in their love making marathon in the early hours of the morning. A part of her felt like they should be a couple because of their history together, but it was a history that was still grayed out in her mind. She'd lost that, and she couldn't help but feel a little lost for how quickly things had escalated for her, when in essence, their relationship has been steadily building over years.

She owed him an apology. Her heart ached at the look of pain and betrayal she'd seen reflected in his eyes when she'd briefly glanced at him before turning away. She'd turned her back on him, taking Jet's side before she even gave him a chance to explain the situation, thinking that he'd just had to assert himself against them for getting under his skin before.

She took a deep breath as she stepped up to the stairs that led down into the library, walking slowly down as her eyes scanned the room. She felt a pang of guilt jolt through her as she realized he wasn't down there. But he'd been there.

Food was waiting for her on a table.

Just then there was a commotion in the guild hall and Levy turned to race back up the stairs. She froze and her heart leapt up to lodge in her throat at the sight before her.

A handful of Magic Council Guards had stepped through the guilds massive double doors, staves held at the ready as they warily watched a tall dark figure stalking towards them from the second floor stairs.

Levy watched, her breath held, as Gajeel stopped before them and turned as one guard hurried to place magic blocking shackles on his wrists behind his back. The group visibly relaxed as soon as they snapped in place and Gajeel turned back to face them, smirking at their guarded expressions as they started to lead him out of the guild.

Panic jolted through her body. She thought that Lily had gone ahead to smooth things over on his behalf? Why was he being taken away? She released her breath in a puff as she kicked off of the floor, dodging tables and chairs as she ran straight towards him.

Gajeel caught a glimpse of sky blue hair streaking between the stark white uniforms of the guardsmen and suddenly jolted as Levy crashed against his body, raising shouts of alarm from the guards who whirled and trained their staves at the small intruder.

Gajeel growled at them, his arms reflexively moving to wrap around and shield her lithe form, but the shackles at his wrist prevented him from doing so. His muscles flexed from the knee-jerk reaction before he ultimately relaxed, breaking his glare from the men around him to look down at Levy against him, her slender arms hugging around his sides.

Makarov was there then, peeling Levy off of him and pulling her around to his side. Tears were falling freely down her cheeks and his heart lurched in his chest, unable to do anything to comfort her.

"I'm sorry!" She wailed as the guards pushed past her and prodded Gajeel in the direction of the doors. His insides twisted in a knot at her apology, heat searing through his veins. He turned his head to peer back over his shoulder at her and offered her a smile.

"I'll be back soon, Short Stuff. Go stay with Lily at my place, I know he'll keep ya safe." His voice trailed off as he passed through the gulid's door, disappearing out into the night, the guards packed tight around him.

Levy wiped at her tears, oblivious to the sympathetic looks her guild mates were giving her as they all dispersed.

"Gajeel told me everything about the shadow that's still after you two, and about the mage that attacked you. He'll explain everything to the Council, m'dear, and I have no doubt that they'll let him go." Makarov said softly at her side. "He's gotten off the hook for far worse before." He added before patting Levy assuredly on the back and turned to walk away.

Lily, who had returned with the group of Council Guards, padded up to stand before Levy, his paw reaching up to rest on her knee.

"He'll be alright, Levy." Lily murmured with a smile as she sniffled and nodded down at him.

"Come," he said then as he stared moving towards the library. "We've got work to do."

Days passed since Gajeel had been led away by armed Council Guards. Levy delved into her work, trying to keep busy, trying to dig up any information in regards to the shadow that plagued herself and Gajeel. She must have watched the Iron Dragon Slayers fight against Rogue of Sabertooth at least a dozen times, watching intensely for clues. To her chagrin, it was distracting watching Gajeel fight. That wicked grin that he'd flashed at his opponent on more than one occassion stirred a jolt of heat that pooled low in her belly. Her heart had lurched for him, seeing him held by the neck off of the floor only to be tossed so callously to the ground. Then there was the sight of his magic shifting into Iron Shadow Dragon. He was truly terrifying. His deep voice resonated through the monitor, "I'll make you remember that fear," and for a moment, she did. She clearly remembered the fear she had felt as he attacked her, what felt like just a week ago for her. She had forgotten. His wicked charms and sensual touch burning that night from her recent memories.

He'd triumphed over the shadow and the crowd had erupted in cheers at the immense display of his power. The shadow had left Rogue's body then, slinking across the ground to disappear outside the ramparts.

Levy currently sat perched in the middle of Gajeel's bed, a few massive tomes spread open around her. She'd found some in the guild archives that mentioned Demons of Zeref's creation. Her tired eyes burned as she scoured over the dusty pages of the tome before her. She spared a glance at a digital clock that rested on a nearby window sill.

2:23am.

She rose her hands to rub sleepily at her eyes, knowing she should call it a night. Lily had retired hours ago, moving out into the living room to take up his spot on the back of the couch. Levy exhaled a long fatigued sigh as her eyes skimmed over the words beneath her, her gaze suddenly focusing on a string of emboldened words: Orthon, lesser demon of the shadows, known to take possession of bodies with notable strength.

Levy felt her body jolt with excitement as she read further, her eyes widening. Orthon, a lesser demon created by Zeref over a century ago, sought to increase his strength through the possession of human vessels. His ultimate goal was to become a full demon worthy of his creators praise. Mention of him popped up every other decade in the tome, stopping just shy of 7 years ago.

Could he have been the shadow that took possession of Rogue during the Grand Magic Games? Was the amount of magical energy radiating from the arena enough to tempt the demon to appear?

Gajeel had defeated him.

Levy sat up ramrod straight on the bed. That was it! Orthon was after Gajeel because he had defeated Rogue. He'd tasted the Iron Dragon's power and had retreated. Did he want Gajeel as his next vessel then?! If that were the case, though, then why was it attacking her? Gajeel's voice answered her in her mind, remembering what he had said on the train, "To get to me".

Levy winced as she felt a strong pull in the back of her mind, that fuzzy feeling that signaled a memory begging to be remembered.

The light above her suddenly flickered out and a chilling snicker echoed around her in the darkness of Gajeel's bedroom.

"I will remove his shackles and set him free." The voice whispered, dripping malice, and Levy sucked in a sharp breath as the memory broke free from the fog in the back of her mind; she heard those words the day that she was attacked, the day that she'd run from Gajeel!

"Lily!" Levy shrieked and the lights suddenly flickered back on. Levy found herself standing in the middle of Gajeel's bed, legs splayed wide, her heart galloping in her chest. Lily suddenly burst into the room in his battle form, his body rigid, ready to fight as his eyes darted around.

"What is it?" He asked, stalking further into the room and started looking behind doors and in the closet as Levy caught her breath, gulping down air.

"It was here." She whispered, her voice quivering.

"Are you hurt?" Lily asked then as he moved up beside the bed, eyeing her warily.

"N-no, it just turned the light out and I heard a whisper in the dark. It said the exact same thing before it attacked me that day, I will remove his shackels and set him free."

Lily blinked at her. "It's going to help him break out of jail at the Magic Council?"

"No! Look, here," Levy pointed to the tome she'd been reading from and fell back to a sitting position in the middle of the bed, eager to share her findings.

Together her and Lily poured over the tome, discovering the details of Orthon, a lesser demon who fed on the darkness within people to bolster his own dark strength in his quest to become a full fledged demon of Zeref's creation.

"Well Gajeel certainly has a dark past," Lily murmured, "But that's not who he is anymore. Why would the demon want him now? Based purely on darkness, he's not as strong as he once was."

Fatigue finally took hold of Levy, its talons dragging her down and muddied her mind. Unable to think clearly anymore she merely shook her head. Lily noticed the glazed over look in her eyes and patted her leg before he moved to gather the tomes spread all over Gajeel's bed.

"Get some sleep, Levy. We'll look at all of this information again tomorrow once you're rested." He dropped the books unceremoniously off the side of the bed with a loud thud, knowing for certain now that Levy was not herself since she didn't even huff at him for the offending slight against the books. He curled up on the edge of the bed, watching her move to bury herself in the blankets and minutes later heard her heavy breaths as she slept.

Levy was roused slowly from her sleep when a warm weight pressed against her back, curling against the length of her body. Behind her closed lids she became aware that the room was dark, and she suddenly jolted since she distinctly remembered falling asleep with the light on in a feeble attempt to keep the demon away.

"Easy," Gajeel's voice rumbled deeply behind her, his breath fanning against her neck as he nuzzled against her.

"Gajeel!" She whispered, relieved that he had returned. She quickly rolled over to peer up at him in the darkness, seeing a faint smirk that tugged at his lips.

"I found some information ab-" Her words were cut short as his lips crushed against hers, his arms circling around her as he pulled her forward against the length of his body.

"In the morning, Shorty." He murmured against her lips after a moment and released a long sigh as he relaxed beside her, breathing deeply as he tucked her head to rest against his chest beneath his chin.

"Sleep," he muttered, his voice sounding as if he were half asleep already. Levy smiled against him, breathing in a deep breath of her own and taking in his scent, reveling in the warmth of his embrace.

She'd missed him.

Comforted by his presence and wrapped securely in his arms, it didn't take long for Levy to drift back to a peaceful sleep.

Gajeel lay there as the first rays of morning light spilled into his bedroom. His crimson hues cracked open and peered down at the mass of messy blue curls nestled against his chest. He felt her slender arm tighten slightly around his torso as she dreampt, her side rising and falling with her gentle breaths.

He'd been so incredibly relieved as soon as he'd entered his home and took in her strong scent, knowing that she had done what he has asked her to as he was escorted away four days ago. He hadn't slept much during his short incarceration, too worried about her and the potential scenarios that could play out in his absence. He absolutely hated not being in control, not knowing how she was doing. Not that he didn't trust Lily to take care of things while he was gone, but again...he preferred to be at the helm, especially when it came to her.

The weight of his fatigue and stress over the past days came tumbling down on him as soon as he'd curled around her and sank into his bed. He barely remembered her trying to excitedly start a conversation with him before he blacked out.

So she'd discovered some things.

He wasn't in the least bit surprised. She was the smartest person he knew and he had no doubt that she would find some information to help them learn more about their enemy.

He drew his arms around her then and lifted his leg to rest over her hip as he rolled onto his back, dragging her with him and watched as she sprawled against his chest, still heavily asleep.

He smirked in amusement. She must not have slept much in the past few days either.

"Mmm...Gajeel," she murmured against him and felt her arms curl around him in a weak embrace.

"Levy." He rumbled, his voice deep from sleep, wondering if she was stirring or just talking in her dreams.

"You smell so nice." She stated on a sigh and Gajeel chuckled softly. She must still be dreaming, he deduced, certain that at the moment he probably didn't smell all that nice. He hadn't been provided the luxury of showering the whole time he was away.

A shower certainly sounded nice.

A shower with Levy sounded even nicer.

He wondered to himself how well she would receive that idea, but didn't ponder over it for too long. Gajeel was a man of action, not a ponderer, though he knew that characteristic of himself landed him in trouble more often than not.

The idea of being on the receiving end of a potential triade from the blue haired Script Mage currently sleeping on top of him made his lips curl mischievously.

Very carefully, he sat up, cautious not to jar her awake with his movements as he shifted her in his arms, positioning her bridal style as he sidled to the edge of the bed and stood. He watched her face intently, looking for any sign that she was waking. Currently her mouth still hung partly open, her head had lulled forward a tad and the arm that wasn't tucked against his torso swung like a dead weight as he started to gingerly move towards the bathroom.

Levy was only faintly aware that her body was floating. In her dreams it translated into flying on the back of a massive black metallic dragon. Her hands fisted in it's silky black mane that trailed down the length of his long muscular neck. Wind whipped at her face, the air warm and moist as the dragon dipped and weaved amungst columns of storm clouds, at first lightly misting her face, but then she felt a wet heat soaking into her body as rain started to fall in heavy sheets around her.

She felt her body shift as she was lifted, suddenly falling from the dragons back as a sudden jolt of cold pressed against her back, the contrast to the heat at her front making her gasp out loud and her eyes flung open and the dream melted away.

She blinked, finding herself staring into a pair of crimson eyes. Her arms were wrapped up around Gajeel's neck, her hands buried in his thick wet hair. Her legs were spread over his hips as he held her up beneath her bottom, her back to the wall...and to her utter shock, she realized that they were in the shower.

She felt her clothes starting to suck to her skin as they became soaked, clinging to her every curve and Levy watched a change in Gajeel's eyes as he peered down at her. Gone was the initial impish grin and mischievous gleam in his eyes, now replaced by a semi-scowl, his eyes clouded over with what Levy now recognized as lust.

"What do you think you're doing, Gajeel Redfox?" Levy asked then, her voice cracking from sleep.

"I thought I'd get a shower." He replied easily, his eyes glancing down at her lips, making her lick them reflexively.

"And you thought it'd be funny to bring me along with you?" Levy asked then, letting her eyes roam over what she could see of his body. The shower stream was pelting him against his side, soaking through his hair that now hung in inky black tendrils down his shoulders. His white shirt had gone almost completely see-through as it clung to every dip and curve of muscle along his chest and torso.

"At first...yes..." He admitted and Levy watched as he captured his bottom lip between his teeth as he openly stared right back at her. He hadn't noticed before, but she was wearing one of his gray T-shirts, the thing quite literally swallowed her whole, but now clung to her tightly, accentuating the swell of her breasts and the curves of her waist and hips. The material bunched up towards the tops of her thighs as her legs were spread over him, giving him a tantalizing view of the black lacy underwear she was currently wearing.

Seeing his bravado coming undone before her eyes gave her a boost of her own wickedness and she pulled herself up closer to him, drawing her lips dangerously close to his.

"And then your little scheme backfired on you, didn't it? You thought I'd wake up angry and you'd get to see me all wet and flustered?"

Gajeel swallowed hard, just barely nodding.

"Well you were right about one thing." Levy said as she arched her back, bringing her chest and belly flush against his. "I am all wet and flustered." She purred before sealing her soft lips against his, drawing out a groan from deep within his throat.

Oh fuck, Gajeel moaned in his mind, his eyes rolling back from the pleasure that coursed through his body from her words and her touch. His hands gripped tighter against her backside as he pressed her further against the tiled shower wall, grinding himself against her core.

Levy moaned into his mouth as the friction between her legs shot a jolt of heat through her and she gripped tighter against his hair, her fingers gliding against his scalp.

"Fuck, Levy," he growled against her lips, pulling back to catch his breath. Levy trailed kisses over his jaw and down along the side of his neck, coaxing deep groans from his throat.

"I missed you," she whispered, the softness of her voice almost drowned out by the steady sound of water streaming from the shower head. He still managed to pick it up with his sensitive hearing and smiled softly at her confession.

He'd missed her too.

Very gently, he let Levy down, allowing her to slide along the length of his body in a deliciously slow friction that had her panting by the time her feet touched on the floor. Her arms unlocked from behind Gajeel's neck and she dragged them down over his shoulders to his chest then further down to his rippling abs, her bottom lip seized between her teeth as she dipped her fingers beneath the soaking wet material of his shirt, inching back up beneath it as she touched him, marveling at how velvety smooth he felt over iron muscle. She spared a glance up at him and a jolt of electricity shot through her at the look reflected in his gaze. He stared down at her beneath hooded lids, his cheeks flushed, his own bottom lip caught between his teeth, looking every bit like he was enduring some sort of sexual torture. He looked so incredibly sexy and hot, with steam rising around his form and water dripping from his hair and trailing down the curve of his jaw. His clothes clung tightly to him, like a second skin...a second skin that she wanted to peel away. She wanted him naked...needed him naked and against her, the urge was strong, like her body was suddenly starved of oxygen.

Gajeel watched as desire flooded Levy's gaze as she looked up at him, the realization that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her staved off any remaining self doubt that had taken root in his mind over the past few days. He'd tried to convince himself that he still wasn't good enough for Levy, that Jet was right and that he had no right to claim her heart and soul. But he had told Jet that that was for Levy to decide, and it was crystal clear to him now that she'd made her decision and despite their dark past, despite her amnesia that obliterated the length of time that they'd grown closer; Levy had still chosen him and found him worthy enough to hold her heart.

Gajeel bent slightly and reached for the hem of his shirt that she wore, peeling it up and over her body before tossing it off to the side, momentarily shocked to see that she hadn't been wearing a bra beneath it. Levy started tugging impatiently as his shirt, snapping him back to the present as she peeled it as high as she could up his torso before he took over for her, pulling it up over his head before tossing it to rest on top of Levy's discarded shirt. Her hands descended upon him, hungry to touch his body as she stepped forward against him, her head tilted as she flicked her tongue out to lap at the steady trickle of water that rippled down his abs, grinning inside as she heard Gajeel suck in his breath.

His hands gripped at her waist suddenly and Levy felt herself hoisted up into the air, her chest crushing against Gajeel's as he brought her forward. Her legs moved to wrap around his hips, her ankles locking at the small of his back as her arms snaked up to cross behind his head as his lips crashed down upon hers as he tilted his head, his tongue thrusting into her mouth in a demanding kiss that curled her toes as she twisted her own tongue against his.

His hands moved down to cup her ass again, digging his fingers lightly into her flesh as he growled into her mouth, tasting her thoroughly. Levy tilted her hips, arching her back as she deftly moved a hand down between them, her slender fingers pressing through the scant space between his belly and the vee of her thighs to reach down to the hem of his pants. She felt his lower belly twitch against her fingers as she wriggled them beneath the material, successfully pushing through as her hand carefully wrapped around his thick shaft that strained against its confines.

Gajeel broke the kiss as he abruptly flung his head back to groan, his features twisted in pleasurable agony. Levy hooked her free arm behind Gajeel's head as she pulled herself up to close her mouth over his exposed neck, her teeth digging lightly into the thick cord of muscle, causing him to spasm against her. One of his hands relinquished his grip on her backside to slap forcefully against the shower wall as he leaned slightly forward, suddenly in need of the extra support. Levy allowed her hand to smoothly glide up and down his cock, her fingers gently brushing over the swollen tip before gripping around him again.

Gajeel panted, goosebumps covering his skin despite standing in the hot streaming water of the shower. Levy was driving him wild with need, her small hand working up and down his shaft as her tongue traced slow circles around the throbbing bite she'd left on his neck.

He needed her.

Now.

"Levy," he growled low, his voice deep with desire.

Levy felt his cock leap in her hand, marveling at the steel hardness of it beneath the silky soft skin. A jolt of desire rushed through her body, gathering heat in the apex of her thighs, knowing exactly what her body was craving in that instant.

"I want you, Gajeel," she whispered wantonly against his neck. In the next instant Levy felt herself pushed back against the cold tiles of the shower wall as Gajeel staggered forward. His hand that was propping himself against the wall fell to the waistband of his shorts as he tugged them down low enough to free the length of his cock, which was still held firmly in Levy's soft grasp. He curled his fingers around the thin fabric of her panties and pulled the barrier aside as Levy guided his swollen tip to her entrance. He bucked reflexively as soon as her heat enveloped him and they both gasped in unison as he pushed inside her.

Gajeel felt Levy's fingers digging into his arms as she held onto him and with control he didn't know he possessed, he slowly pushed himself to the hilt inside of her, groaning at how tightly her walls hugged him, then pulled back just as slow; rolling his hips with each delicate thrust, stroking her with deliberate laziness as he reveled in the feeling of claiming her body with his own.

Levy panted in his arms, almost impatient to feel him pounding into her. She squeezed her eyes closed, willing herself to calm down; to savor the gentle fire his steady thrusts were building within her belly. It wasn't the same wild abandon that he had claimed her with before, no, this was something different, something more visceral. He was making love to her. She opened her eyes at the realization and peered up to meet his gaze, not surprised to see the fiery love and affection reflected deep in his ruby hues. He lowered his face towards hers, canting his head to the side as his lips pressed against hers softly, dancing in a gentle cadence with the slow roll of his hips against her. The distinct sting of tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as emotions, stronger and deeper than anything she'd ever felt before, surged through her heart and soul.

Gajeel paused in his motions as he saw the tears gathering in her eyes and drew back to peer down at her, worried at first that he'd somehow hurt her, but was relieved to see her smiling up at him.

"Why are ya crying?" He asked gently before he leaned forward to kiss away the a tear that slowly trailed down her cheek.

Levy leaned into his kiss. "I just feel overwhelmed with emotion. I've never felt this before, but at the same time, I feel like I have."

Gajeel snickered at the paradox of her situation as he thrust a little harder into her, drawing out a delicious moan from her lips.

"What do ya feel, Levy?" He asked, his voice deep.

It didn't seem quite fair, that she would be telling him now that she felt love...that she loved him. Had she told him that before? Did he have any idea the depth of her feelings towards him before he was erased from her mind? Did she have any idea?

"Don't worry about before," Gajeel murmured against her hair as he withdrew slowly from inside of her, as if he could read the direction her thoughts had taken. "Tell me what you feel now, here, with me."

He rolled his hips forward again, filling her with his cock one inch at a time; slowly, caressing her inside.

"I love you." Levy whispered, hardly registering the words herself.

Gajeel stilled.

"Say it again." He demanded, his voice rumbling.

"I love you, Gajeel." Levy repeated, louder.

His chest pressed against hers as he drew in a deep, shuddering breath, his arms moving to encircle her tightly as he abruptly withdrew from within her, suddenly leaving her feeling empty and cold.

A long silence followed, save from the sound of the shower spraying the two of them.

Gajeel felt the triumphant joy of that moment being ripped from his hands as he felt a cold trickle working up his spine. He carefully set Levy down within the shower, felt her withdrawing from him from his lack of response after such a confession. He hated hurting her, hated himself for not saying anything back, but his raging instincts in that moment were yelling at him to turn and run; to get as far away from her as possible.

His focus was currently on the strange sensation that was working up his back, sprouting chilled fingers across his shoulder blades. Darkness as black as pitch filled in the peripherals of his vision and he tensed as a whispered laugh echoed around him.

"Get away from me Levy, now!" Gajeel roared as he felt his limbs start to prickle and go numb.

She turned her startled hazel hues up towards him, pain and confusion etched all over her face and his gut twisted as he realized that she was misinterpreting his demand.

"Bu-" She started to protest but he cut her off.

"Don't argue with me, just please-" The words died on his lips as he felt his consciousness ripped from his body, his vision withdrew within himself, as if watching a theater screen within a massive, blackened room. With immense horror, he watched as his hands moved of their own accord within sight, moving slowly towards Levy's neck, his fingers curled like claws. He watched the panic on her face as she looked to his hands, then back up to his face.

"Gajeel?!" Levy screamed and Gajeel felt his heart sink within his chest.

Maniacal laughter filled the bathroom, echoing off of the tiles as shadows moved around them then merged into one massive black void that took up the entire wall at the back of the shower, towering over the two of them.

"How incredibly sweet." The etherious voice hissed around them. Gajeel roared within himself as he watched his hands suddenly lash forward to clamp around Levy's neck. Her own hands rose to claw at them as she gasped for breath.

"I knew that my patience would be well rewarded in the end." The voice spoke calmly; a cold contrast to the life or death situation as Levy choked in Gajeel's hands.

"I knew as soon as I saw your power back then that I wanted you, needed you to use as my next vessel; such raw power and strength far beyond my wildest imaginings for any being of this world to possess, Black Steel Gajeel."

Gajeel thrashed wildly within himself, throwing himself against the blackness that surrounded him as he watched Levy growing weaker in his hands. He felt like such a fool. He'd let his guard down, again. Why didn't she fight back?

Defend yourself, Levy! He roared at her, helpless to do anything to free himself from the dark beings control.

Just then he watched as his hands relinquished their hold as Levy dropped back, gasping for air as she slumped back against the shower wall.

"You're wrong!" She spoke loudly, addressing the blackness that towered over her, staring at her with one wickedly white eye and a grin that curled menacingly.

"That's not who he is anymore! The shadows of his past are gone!" Levy shouted defiantly, using the knowledge she had gained to try to reason with the demon.

Levy... Gajeel focused on her face, felt her determination feeding his own resolve. He had to find a way to regain control of himself.

A low cackle echoed around them, growing in intensity.

"Are they?" The voice asked, dripping with pointed malice.

Levy's brows furrowed as the question caught her off guard. Of course the darkness within him was gone. He'd grown by leaps and bounds during his time in Fairy Tail; she recognized that difference in him in just the short time she'd gotten to reacquaint herself with him. What could possibly still be lingering in his life that darkness could attach itself onto?

Her eyes widened as realization slammed into her, halting the breath in her chest and causing a heavy weight to sink into her gut.

"It's me..." She whispered, her voice choked on the words. She herself was a constant connection to the darkness of his past; she was a shadow, a black mark within his history. A string from her would always connect to that past; an ever present reminder for Gajeel, no matter how much he had changed and left his former life behind.

Don't listen to it, Levy!

Gajeel was relived to feel sensation returning to his limbs as he regained a sliver of control over himself, but it was short lived. He roared suddenly, his hands fisted in his hair, eyes squeezed tightly closed as visions of death and destruction filled his mind, feeling as if he were being pushed towards a precipice; down below, a writhing pit of blackness and despair, and tantalizing, immense strength.

"I need Gajeel's power, but he's become weak; tamed. His love for you has become his greatest imperfection, but I will remedy that. I know exactly how to unlock the fetters that have subdued his destructive potential."

Gajeel suddenly grew still, his arms falling to his side as his chin fell forward, his mass of black mane falling forward to shield his face. Dark, seething tendrils rose from his body like thick smoke, lashing at the air around him as if they had a mind of their own, seeking out to destroy whatever they came in contact with.

Levy watched in horror as he lifted his head, revealing eyes that shone menacingly white, and cold, devoid of any life or emotion as his skin turned to black iron before her. His lips curved open wide in a wicked grin as a deep, dangerous snicker rumbled from his chest. "Gi-hee-hee."

Levy's blood turned to ice in her veins.

"I'll make him watch me sever those chains. I'll use his own hands to snuff out your meaningless, pathetic life and send him careening into the darkness you've denied him. I'll make him into the devastating monster he was always destined to be, a demon worthy to serve Lord Zeref!"

Levy ducked beneath Gajeel's hands as they moved towards her again, before leaping from the shower as she raced to the door and flung it open to scramble out into the hallway.

"Lily!" She yelled, not caring that she was naked at the moment as she charged into Gajeel's bedroom. The exceed was gone, having discreetly left to give them some privacy.

Levy felt the weight of Gajeel's presence behind her, felt the sting of the black tendrils of dark power that lashed around him. In the next instant she felt white hot sparks of pain race up her spine as black ribbons of his destructive magic wrapped around her, forcing her around to face him as he towered over her, smirking coldly down at her.

Goddammit, fight! Gajeel howled within his mind as he watched his iron shadowed hands reach forward to clamp around Levy's throat once more. Tears of rage and frustration stung his eyes as he watched her, knowing that she refused to fight back; refused to hurt him, despite the dire danger that she was currently in.

He had to do something.

"I will remove his shackles and set him free!" The voice repeated, and Gajeel realized that just like the man from Clover Town who had released a primal, unbridled rage from within him when he'd hurt Levy, that this being aimed to do the same thing. Had it masterminded that whole attack then? That would explain why he hadn't been able to detect the man's presence, masked behind the shadowed aura of this entity. It believed Levy to be his shackles, keeping him placated from becoming an evil and destructive force. He supposed that there was some truth to that; Levy had tamed him, had turned him around for the better over the years. But that darkness; the monster inside of him never truly went away. It was just sleeping...waiting for the right catalyst to fully awaken it once more.

He'd felt it stirring whenever Levy had been in danger in the past, but he never imagined that someone, or something, would use that against him in order to release the beast inside of him. The shadow being wanted him to go savage; needed his power to serve as its own, as a vessel towards reaching it's goal of becoming one of Zeref's demons.

Flattering as it was, Gajeel couldn't let that happen.

He focused on Levy within his minds eye, saw the fear beneath the strength in her eyes as she refused to fight for herself. It was up to him, to protect her from danger this one last time...

Levy felt herself growing numb; her vision began tunneling in as her body began to shut down from lack of oxygen. On the edge of losing consciousness, curiously, she distinctly heard Gajeel's voice filling her mind.

I'll always love you, Levy. Please, leave your light shining for me.

The distinct sound of blades forcefully ripping through flesh reached her ears and she watched behind the darkened veil of her vision as several iron swords ripped through Gajeel's body, piercing him in all different directions from the inside out, aiming at vital organs. The grip on her throat was instantly relinquished as the last one to pierce through him traveled straight through his heart. His body quickly gave out as he fell to the floor in a lifeless heap. The last thing Gajeel heard as he was swallowed by a warm, blinding light was Levy's hoarse voice screaming his name.

Levy staggered back as the air exploded around them, scattering shadows asunder in a blast of shimmering light, blissfully knocking her unconscious in that instant and saving her from the tearing pain that ripped through her heart at the sight of Gajeel laying at her feet, dead.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Quick note: Thank you again for all of the feedback everyone. I really appreciate the encouraging words right along with the criticism. Like Droy once said, "being a writer is like showing your butt to the world," and some of you spanked it pretty hard. Lol! All joking aside, without feedback I wouldn't strive for perfection, so thanks. I'm sorry this took so long to revise, but life is busy with two kids and extra curricular things, blah blah. It's difficult to sit down and maintain a train of thought without continuous interruptions. I hope this version is more satisfying and does a better job at wrapping up loose ends...I personally feel better about it. So here it is.**_

 _ **What If: Chapter 7**_

Levy's eyes abruptly opened as her body convulsed. She sat up straight in bed as her head pounded painfully, feeling as if her skull had been split open. A choking sob escaped her lips on its own accord as she gasped for air, her eyes welling with tears as a myriad of memories came flooding from the back of her mind, filling her with waves of emotions as she relived every single one that came to light inside of her.

Her memories with Gajeel.

Her hands flew to cover her mouth as she cried, feeling her heart swell with the realization, but at the same time she felt a deep, painful ache as her last memory with him surfaced above all others.

He was dead... he had taken his own life in order to spare hers, at the same time denying the demon it's coveted vessel. He was dead!

"No...no, no, no!" Levy cried, her body trembling.

"Gajeel!" She wailed, hysterical.

Just then a strong, familiar pair of arms curled around her shoulders, roughly dragging her to the side of the bed to crush her against a solid mass. Startled, Levy blinked her tears away and looked up, suddenly shocked to see a bruised and bandaged, but very alive Gajeel grinning down at her.

" 'Bout damn time." He growled.

"Gajeel! But..how!? I saw you die..you..." Levy cried, not wanting to believe that he was real. She must have still been in shock, she was just imagining this...

"The devil wouldn't take me in. Said that hell's not big enough for two fallen angels." He murmured softly, letting his arms drop from around her just enough to hold her at arms length as he stared down at her.

Levy laughed then, ducking her face against the warmth of his chest, wrapping her slender arms around him gingerly as pulled him close again as she wept.

" _What we can do for another is the test of powers: what we can suffer is the test of love_."

Her head snapped up then, as his deep voice rumbled her favorite quote from the ending of her favorite book, "What If" and renewed tears suddenly sprang to her eyes, cascading down her cheeks.

"The book," she whispered. "You _did_ read it."

"I love you, Levy." The Iron Dragon Slayer professed before he cupped her cheeks in his hands and sealed his lips over her own in a tender, heart-felt kiss.

"I love you too, Gajeel. I love you so much..." She whispered back.

"You were the angel." He smirked, and it took Levy a minute to realize he was referring to the question she'd asked about the song he sang. She grinned, wiping at her tears.

"Just don't let me go."

Gajeel shook his head, squeezing her possessively. "Never."

They remained in coveted silence for a few minutes as they held onto each other.

"I remember, Gajeel...I remember everything." Levy whispered then and Gajeel squeezed her tighter.

"You've got your memories back?" He asked, hope evident in his voice.

"Yes," Levy answered with a brilliant smile, tears rolled down her cheeks and she buried her face against Gajeel's chest. She felt him take a deep breath and sigh in relief.

"Really though," Levy sniffled then, her eyes squinting against the pain that kept pounding in her head. She sat back and allowed her gaze to sweep around her surroundings, seeing that she had been brought back to her apartment. A fresh array of flowers sat off to the side on a collective stack of books, filling the room with their sweet scent.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered.

"Well," Gajeel murmured, sitting on the side of her bed gingerly with a wince. "If I'd timed it any differently, I would be, for sure."

Levy gazed up at him, her expression one of both awe and confusion, earning her a smug smirk from the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"I'll fill ya in on it later, Short Stuff. Just rest for now."

Levy nodded slowly, not wanting any sudden movements to jar her aching head.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best." She whispered, closing her eyes as another stab of pain pierced behind her lids. "I don't think my mind can take any more right now," she ended with a sigh. Despite the massive headache, she was reveling in reliving all of the memories she'd regained with Gajeel. Every once in a while a small giggle escaped her lips as she recalled a particularly humorous recollection.

Gajeel watched her from his perch beside her on her bed, relief washing over him at the fact that she had her memories of him once more, and that both of them were alive to share this moment.

It must have been a fail safe from the demon; memory loss, in order to lock out any persistent characteristics of the hosts he wanted to take over, for complete domination of mind, body, and soul. He'd used it against Levy in an elaborate scheme to start slowly chiseling away at the iron links of their bond in order to send him over the edge of oblivion. He'd felt a similar effect start cutting away at his own memories once the demon had entered his body, specifically the ones that had marked the beginnings of his growth and change over the years. Like the first time he'd stepped before Levy and took a direct hit from Laxus in order to shield her. It was as if the demon were trying to overwrite the prime directive that had become the focus of his life; to protect Levy.

The demon had failed. He wasn't quick enough to snuff out the blinding desire Gajeel possessed to keep her safe. That desire was one of the largest contributions to the overwhelming strength he possessed, both inner strength and physical.

He heard Pantherlily slowly pad into her bedroom then and he spared a quick glance over to his exceed partner as he quietly shuffled over to his side, jumping on the wing to land gently on Gajeel's knee. Lily peered at Levy, watching her head drop forward as she dozed off sitting straight up. An affectionate smirk pulled on his lips.

"I haven't gotten the chance to thank you, Lil." Gajeel spoke gently. "If it wasn't for you..." He trailed off, not even wanting to entertain the possible outcome if the exceed hadn't returned when he did.

Lily patted Gajeel's knee beneath him in silent comfort. Lily had returned to retrieve a fishing pole. He'd retreated so hastily that morning at the first sign of their heated exchanges he hadn't thought to grab something to occupy him for a little while. He had decided to bravely return and strictly ignore any sights or sounds he might hear in the brief time it would take him to get what he needed and leave, but what he walked in to was not anything like he was expecting.

A frown crossed his lips and his furry brows creased as he remembered seeing their bodies laid out on the bedroom floor. Initially he'd amusingly thought that they'd exhausted themselves, but then he'd smelled blood in the air and saw the growing dark red stain beneath Gajeel and he immediately knew something had gone terribly awry.

"I'm glad you two are alright." The exceed finally spoke with a sigh, then smiled. "So, does she have her memories back?"

Gajeel nodded with a smirk.

"Good. I hope that means that the demon is gone for good this time." Lily replied and Gajeel frowned, his brows furrowing.

"Yeah. Me too." The Iron Dragon Slayer replied, though he felt quite confident that he had delivered a fatal blow against the shadow being. Still, he knew he was going to be on edge for quite some time. This whole situation had dug up a lot of angst and self-loathing that he thought that he'd buried long ago; with Levy's help. He certainly hoped that she didn't take the demon's words to heart, that she was and would always be a connection to his dark past, therefore making it impossible for him to truly move forward. It simply wasn't true. It was because of her that he'd wanted to better himself down the benevolent path in the first place. When he looked at her he wasn't reminded of the past at all. When he looked at Levy, all he could see was the future. A future with her, together.

* * *

 _ **2 weeks later...**_

Levy leaned her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze caressing her face. The sun shone brilliantly, though did little to take the bite of the coming winter from the air. Her shoulders rose and fell with a sigh before she tilted her chin down, her hazel eyes opening as she turned to peer over at her companion. Gajeel sat stoically at her side, his own gaze casually scanning around as he people watched. He was leaned back against the bench beside her, legs planted wide in that cocky manner of his. One arm was slung over the back of the bench behind her, his fingers absently twisting a lock of Levy's hair between thumb and forefinger. As if sensing her gaze upon him he turned his head towards her, offering her one of those sexy smirks.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" He asked then, knowing that Levy very rarely gave her intuitive and inquisitive mind a rest.

"I'm ready," Levy said, putting on a brave smile.

Gajeel blinked down at her, knowing exactly what she was referring to. She had been pretty shaken up over the events that had transpired, and though Gajeel prided her for being such a strong and resilient individual, he hadn't wanted to strain her heart and her emotions in the days she spent recovering by talking about how he'd cheated death. He'd wanted to spend that time holding her, comforting her, and selfishly comforting himself too. He needed to know that she wasn't afraid of him, that she didn't blame him for almost killing her...again. He knew better than that; knew that she knew he'd been possessed and that it wasn't him that had put his hands on her. But he still had needed reassurance and he'd gotten it almost immediately. She'd showered him with kisses and embraces over the past two weeks. She'd put her arms around him at night and held him against her soft body. She'd whispered his name passionately as he took her again and again. He had no doubt that he still sat at the throne of her heart as her chosen protector and lover. And he made sure over the days to not leave any space for doubt in her mind that she still meant the world to him.

"It was strange." He started, his tone low as he stared off in the distance, his memories of that heart wrenching moment coming back to the forefront of his mind.

"I could feel him, the demon, filling me, like water filling a glass. It left me feelin' numb in its wake." He paused then, returning his gaze to her. "Do you remember when we took on the Phoenix?" At her nod, he continued. "It was kinda similar to when that Chase guy got inside of me. Just before he pierced me from the inside out I reinforced the iron around my insides, causing his blades to bounce off any vital organs."

Levy pursed her lips, remembering the fright she'd felt when he'd initially told her about that fight.

"Well it gave me an idea." He continued. "It's hard to explain, but I could feel his shadows inside of me, mirroring my own organs as he attempted to seep into mine. It was a hunch," Gajeel shrugged as he paused, "but I figured I could try to pierce him through the vitals like Chase had tried to do to me. Didn't figure that the bastard would go down that easily, but..." Gajeel trailed off, his crimson hues tracing over Levy's face, taking in her features as he tried to gauge how well she was receiving this information.

"But, I saw you go down...saw your eyes go lifeless." Levy whispered, her bottom lip quivering as she relieved the horror of that moment. Gajeel lowered his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer against his side.

"Yeah. The best way I can describe it is that he collapsed in on himself, like a black hole inside of me, and tried to take my life essence with him, but the pull disappeared almost instantly and I remember you shouting my name and then everything went white and then nothing, like I passed out."

Levy wiped at tears that sprang to her eyes and she leaned further against Gajeel's side.

"I was so scared..." She sobbed softly.

"Awe, Short Stuff," Gajeel murmured then turned towards her, wrapping her in both of his strong arms as he pulled her onto his lap, not caring about the few indignant glares he got from passers by. He went even further by grabbing the edges of his coat and closed them around her, trapping her within his heat and scent against his chest. He felt her shoulders shaking against his embrace as she quietly cried and planted his chin gently on top of her head.

"It's all over now, Levy." She heard him say, the deep timbre of his voice vibrating through her body as he held her against his chest. She nodded her head gently and drew in a fortifying breath.

"Yeah," she choked out, then turned towards him and wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her face against his neck.

"You know," Gajeel stated, amusement evident in his tone. "When Lily found us, he thought we'd passed out from having too much mad monkey sex."

"Pfffffft!" Levy spat between her lips, the imagery that went along with that statement making her suddenly laugh out loud. Her laughter eased into giggles as she tightened her arms around the Iron Dragon Slayer, silently thanking him for lightening the mood and stopping her tears. She sighed after a moment and they sat like that for a while longer, enjoying the comfort of each others embrace.

Then suddenly without warning, Gajeel stood beneath Levy and she squeaked softly as he easily shifted her in his arms, carrying her as he started walking towards the direction of her apartment. She spared a questioning glance up at him and he looked down at her, a familiar glaze over his garnet hues. He smirked slyly then and Levy felt her cheeks blushing crimson in the unspoken promise smoldering in his eyes.

"Speakin' of mad monkey sex..."

Levy huffed in his arms, her fists balled as she playfully thumped him against the chest.

"Can you stop calling it that!?" She squealed, embarrassed.

"Mad _dragon_ sex." He corrected himself.

"Gajeel!" Levy whined, incredulous, as her eyes flitted around to be sure no random strangers were privy to his dirty talk.

"What? I know you like it when I talk dirty," he purred, pure male satisfaction radiating from his form.

"Yeah, but not out in public!" She retorted, then grew rigid in his embrace as she saw they were nearing a small group of people milling about on the sidewalk.

"Gihee." Gajeel laughed mischievously, waiting until they were right next to the group before he said loudly, to Levy's utter horror, "Yes, dear, we can stop and get some butt lube on the way home."

"Gajeel Redfox, put me down!" Levy flailed in his arms, redder than a strawberry, and he laughed boisterously as he rounded a corner and picked up his pace. Knowing she was being ignored and burning alive from embarrassment, Levy just ceded to bury her face against Gajeel's chest as he continued to stalk towards her abode. Laughter still rumbled beneath his breath as he moved.

"You make it too easy, Levy." He finally said with a smile.

"What? To tease me?" She grumbled.

"No," he stated as he reached her door and worked the handle before moving them inside and shutting it at his back.

"To love you." He finished before he bent and claimed her lips with a scorching kiss that made her toes curl. Gajeel proceeded to carry her back to her bedroom where he planned to show her the depths of his love for her for the rest of the day, and every day there after.

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed and please review. I am in the works with other short stories featuring Gajevy, so stay tuned._**

 ** _~Tessryne_**

 _ **Song reference in Chapter 5 is "Angel" by Theory of a Deadman.**_


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